Ukrainian men between the ages of 25 and 60 living abroad will be asked to report for military service, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has said.
Kyiv has also seen setbacks in provisions of aid, with US Republicans blocking a $61bn (€55bn; £48bn) military package and Hungary stopping an EU financial deal worth €50bn ($55bn; £43bn).
In an interview for the media outlets Die Welt, Bild and Politico, Mr Umerov described the recruitment drive as “not a punishment” but “an honour”.
The defence minister said that it was important to be fair, informing mobilised men how they would be trained and equipped, when and where they would serve and when they would be discharged.
Mr Zelensky suggested in his end-of-year news conference on Tuesday that there were currently 500,000 Ukrainian troops at the front.
Currently conscripts and volunteers are obliged to serve until the end of the war, and are only allowed 10 days’ leave a year.
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