Cnn
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One of the largest conscription series to Russia soldiers for several years is underway, while President Vladimir Putin is advancing with an expansion of the country’s soldiers at a crucial time of the war in Ukraine.
Putin signed a decree authorizing the last phase of the conscription effort twice a year, with the new window starting Tuesday and taking place until July 15.
He will see 160,000 men between 18 and 30 years old, joining the Armed Forces of Russia – an increase of 10,000 on Spring Drive from last year and an increase of more than 15,000 against three years ago, according to the Russian media TASS.
The conscription push is not new, and Tass has reported that the climb is caused by Putin’s efforts to increase the size of the military of Russia as a whole; The country had 1 million soldiers three years ago, but now has about 1.5 million.
But the new push also occurs at a vital crossroads in the Russian war in Ukraine. Moscow relies on the aid of North Korean soldiers to repel kyiv’s advances in the Kursk region in Russia, and has progressed on the ground in eastern Ukraine, while the United States is trying to make discussions that would end the conflict.
The Russian law prohibits the sending of conscripts written for a compulsory service in active combat areas without appropriate training. Although the official position is that conscripts are not sent to Ukraine, the reports have surfaced conscripts under pressure or misleaded in signature contracts which lead to their deployment to the front lines in Ukraine. Others found themselves attacked when Kyiv launched his surprise foray into the Russian Kursk region in August 2024.
Russian troops have continued supported attacks in the Pokrovsk region in Donetsk in recent weeks, and have launched air attacks against Ukrainian cities, even if discussions with the United States are continuing.
Russian superior negotiator Kirill Dmitriev should meanwhile Washington be able to meet the senior Trump official, Steve Witkoff, for talks about strengthening relations between the two countries as they seek to end the war in Ukraine, according to an American official and two familiar sources with the plans.
His visit will mark the first time that a senior Russian official has been going to Washington, DC, for talks since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and marked a new stage in the marked warming of relations between the two countries since President Donald Trump returned in office in January.
Trump recognized in an interview with Newsmax last week that Russia could “drag their feet”.
Putin not only rejected Trump’s recent call to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, but also added conditions-including the lifting of American sanctions-for a ceasefire to fight the Black Sea after the last negotiations last week and the moratorium was announced by the White House.