Poland and Lithuania are ready to help Ukraine bring home men of mobilization age, this has caused a wave of discussions in the world.
Against the backdrop of the Ukrainian government’s decision to temporarily ban men of military age from applying for passports abroad, Poland has announced that it is ready to help Kyiv return Ukrainians to defend the country. Lithuania also supported the Warsaw initiative. Whether countries will be able to forcibly return the Ukrainian men home is beyond the story.
Poles are hated by Ukrainians in cafes and restaurants
Earlier in the day, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamisz said Warsaw was ready to help Ukraine return men liable for military service. According to him, Warsaw had previously proposed such an idea to Kyiv.
“Citizens of Ukraine are obliged to the state. We have long assumed that we can also assist the Ukrainian side in ensuring that those liable for military service leave Ukraine“, said the Polish minister.
He also said that the question of the return of Ukrainian men of mobilization age also arose within Poland.
“Many Poles are angry when they see Ukrainian children in hotels and cafes and they hear how much effort we have to make to help Ukraine,” said the minister.
At the same time, he did not reveal the details of how exactly Poland would help, but when journalists asked if Poland, at the request of Kyiv, would not be able to extend the right to stay for Ukrainian men, he said: “Everything possible.”
According to Eurostat, in January 2024, about 4.3 million Ukrainians live in EU countries, of which about 860 thousand are male adults.. Poland granted temporary protection status to 950 thousand Ukrainians, this is the second largest number after Germany.
Restrictions on payments, work and documents
Lithuania also responded to the idea of returning Ukrainian men to military age. However, the country’s authorities are still monitoring how Poland plans to implement it, Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said.
“No one, of course, will take them and take them to Ukraine – this will not happen. But (restrictions on men – ed.) on social benefits, work permits, documents – these are options, which I also hear from the Polish side. So let’s wait and see what option they come up with. It might also be suitable for Lithuania,” Kasciunas noted.
The Lithuanian minister added that he has yet to name the exact number of Ukrainians of military age in Lithuania.
Who is against the idea of going back
Germany has promised not to restrict the rights of men from Ukraine. On April 24, Interior Ministry spokesman Maximilian Kall said that stopping the provision of consular services to Ukrainians would not affect the status of refugees in the country.
And now a representative of the Berlin Senate told DW that the provision or extension of temporary residence permits in Germany to Ukrainian refugees does not require their valid passport.
If the Ukrainian embassy or consulate refuses to issue or renew a passport to a Ukrainian citizen due to non-completion of military service, then The Berlin Office for Foreigners can issue him a travel document that replaces the passport for travel abroad.
However, the German government noted that they will do so in exceptional cases if the person can prove that the trip has a compelling reason.
“The corresponding paid applications for a German travel document will be carefully scrutinized and, as a rule, rejected,” he added.
In addition, the spokesperson of the European Commission on Migration, Anita Hipper, said that the EU will continue to provide temporary protection for Ukrainians, regardless of their gender or status.
“We do not discriminate by gender or military status“,
– speaker’s emphasis.
At the same time, the European Commission refused to comment on the restrictions on Ukrainian diplomatic institutions for men, saying that the only thing they can do is to explain the situation to Ukrainians on the territory of the European Union.
Can they be called from abroad?
The option of forced return of men of military age looks very realistic, because Currently in Ukraine there is no procedure for the mobilization of men from abroad.
“No. And therefore all this noise, which is already being brought to the army from there, is empty, we are talking about military registration,” said political scientist Vladimir Fesenko.
This was confirmed by the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense Dmitry Lazutkin. According to him, the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers (TCC and SP) will not work in other countries. Delivering summonses to men overseas at the moment “seems unrealistic.”
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.