Poland willing to help Kiev by repatriating Ukrainians of fighting age
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Poland's Defense Minister says that Warsaw had earlier offered Kiev to track down those who abandon their “civic duty."
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Ukrainian troops on their way towards the front line in Donetsk in April 2024 (AFP)
Poland is ready to assist Kiev in repatriating men of military age, without specifying the number, from among the approximately 950,000 Ukrainians currently granted temporary sanctuary in the country, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told Polsat news outlet on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry implemented a ban preventing men aged 18 to 60 from obtaining or renewing their documents, including passports, at consular offices outside Ukraine. Kosiniak-Kamysz expressed his support for Kiev's decision, adding that he was "not surprised" by the move.
Read more: Elite Ukrainian brigade disappeared during Ocheretyne battle: Forbes
“The Ukrainian authorities are doing everything to provide new soldiers to the front, because the needs are huge,” he said.
The defense chief said that his country had previously offered to help Ukraine track down those who abandon their “civic duty,” mentioning however that “the form of assistance depends on the Ukrainian side.”
“I think that many of our compatriots were and are outraged when they see young Ukrainian men in cafes and hear about how much effort it takes us to help Ukraine,” he added. The official also reiterated Kiev’s position that Ukrainians who could not avoid the draft have “justified grievances against their peers who have scattered around the world.”
Read more: US pushes to deliver military aid to Ukraine before May 9: Politico
Drafting men to war is 'fair treatment'
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenksy signed into law earlier this month a mobilization reforms bill to address draft dodging and strengthen the military.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday that the decision to ban Ukrainian men from leaving and drafting them to war was “fair treatment”.
Zelenksy's mobilization law is set to go into effect next month and would lower the draft age to 25 from 27. Individuals liable for military service will also be given a 60-day window to visit a military registration and enlistment office to update their registration information. The law will also narrow exemptions and require all men, regardless of their eligibility status.
EU officials estimate that around 650,000 Ukrainian men of fighting age reside within Europe – minus the ones in Poland.
Kiev views this group as a substantial, yet unused, manpower reserve for its armed forces. However, when questioned in early April about the number of troops Kiev planned to mobilize, Zelensky avoided providing a direct answer.
Read more: Ukrainian army struggling with manpower shortage: WSJ
