Vladimir Putin is raising concerns again about the possibility of World War III after announcing a huge new plan to bring in 160,000 more soldiers. That’s more than double the number of full-time soldiers in the British Army. The Russian president has ordered young men aged 18 to 30 to join the military the biggest recruitment push since 2011 as he looks to grow Russia’s already massive armed forces, which currently has nearly 1.5 million active soldiers.
In comparison, the UK’s regular army has just over 75,000 soldiers, not counting volunteers or Gurkhas. In total, Russia’s military, including all support forces, is close to 2.4 million people out of a population of 143 million.
According to the BBC, Russian navy official Vice Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyansky claimed that the new recruits wouldn’t be sent to fight in Ukraine. Russia still refers to the war as a “special military operation.”
But reports say many conscripted soldiers have already died fighting near Russia’s borders and during the early months of the invasion of Ukraine.
This latest troop call-up is seen as another blow to Donald Trump, who has tried and failed to help end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Even after Trump announced a ceasefire on energy targets and shipping in the Black Sea, Moscow has continued launching ground and air attacks.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said they’ve looked at peace ideas from the U.S., but added that the American plan doesn’t deal with the “real reasons” behind the war. He said: “We’re open to talks, but we can’t accept the proposals as they are.”
During last year’s U.S. election campaign, Trump promised to end the conflict quickly, calling it Europe’s biggest war since World War II. However, the Kremlin hasn’t responded to his latest comments, where Trump said he was “angry” and “pissed off” after Putin criticized Ukraine’s President Zelensky.
A Kremlin spokesman said President Putin is still open to speaking with the U.S. president.
Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine are getting ready for more fighting this spring and summer. Ukrainian President Zelensky said Russia hasn’t stopped attacking and continues its invasion every day. He said the constant airstrikes, drone attacks, and shelling show that Putin has no interest in peace talks.
