The return of men of military age to Ukraine: how they react in different countries of the world

The world's reaction to the return of men to Ukraine/Collage 24 Channel

Recently, Poland announced that they are ready to help Ukraine return men of military age. This caused a wave of discussions in the world, in particular, Lithuania also announced a similar decision.

We would like to remind you that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has temporarily suspended most consular services for men liable for military service abroad. Read about how the world reacted in the material 24 Channel.

EU reaction

European Commission spokeswoman for migration Anita Hipper said that the EU will continue to provide temporary protection for Ukrainians, regardless of their gender or status.

We do not differentiate between gender or status of a person liable for military service,” the press secretary emphasized.

At the same time, the European Commission refuses to comment on the measures that the Ukrainian government is taking, saying that the only thing they can do is to explain the situation with Ukrainians on the territory of the European Union.

Germany's reaction

German Interior Ministry spokesman Maximillian Kall said that his country does not change the protection status of men after the decisions of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry .

This will not affect the protection status, which is the same for men and women, who make up the vast majority of war refugees, he emphasized .

He also refused to comment on the decision of the Ukrainian government, they emphasize that this is within the competence of Ukraine. They also did not answer the question about men receiving a temporary German travel document if their Ukrainian passport expires.

At the same time, a representative of the Berlin Senate stated that the provision or extension of temporary residence permits in Germany to Ukrainian refugees does not necessarily require them to have a valid passport.

If the Ukrainian embassy or consulate will refuse to issue or renew a passport to a Ukrainian citizen due to failure to complete military service, then the Berlin Office for Foreigners can issue him a travel document that replaces a passport for traveling abroad.

However this will only be done in exceptional cases, since the rules for the stay of foreigners in Germany provide for the possibility of issuing German documents replacing a passport to persons of military age only if there are compelling reasons for travel.

The corresponding paid applications for a German travel document will be carefully checked and, as a rule, rejected, warns the representative of the Senate

Poland is ready to return men of military age

The head of the Polish Defense Ministry, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysh, said that Poland had previously repeatedly offered to help the Ukrainian authorities by sending Ukrainian men liable for military service “fulfill your civic duty.”

I think that many Poles are outraged when they see young Ukrainian men in hotels and cafes and hear “how much effort we should make to help Ukraine,” he said.

At the same time, Kosinyak-Kamysh noted that he is not surprised by the claims of Ukrainians who are at the front that their peers have “dispersed all over the world.” He also noted that the form of “help” from Poland will depend on the decision of the Ukrainian side.

Lithuania can help Ukraine

Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said that Lithuania needs to think about how to return men liable for military service to Ukraine. Currently, specific measures are not being considered in Lithuania.

The direction is correct. It is probably difficult to say yet what measures this will turn into. Apparently, this will need to be discussed specifically,” Kasciunas said.

According to the head of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, men will not be sent to Ukraine, but such persons can be limited in social payments, work permits, documents.

What is known about the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduced temporary restrictions on receiving consular services for men aged 18 to 60 years. The State Enterprise “Document” also suspended the issuance of ready-made documents in foreign divisions for “technical reasons”. becomes a priority. However, he noted that protecting the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens abroad has always been and remains a priority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. provided for in the new law. This is done due to the possibility of exceeding the processing time for applications before the law comes into force. However, all applications submitted before April 23, 2024 will be considered by consular offices in full.