Ukraine should ban kids fleeing, must live hardship: Kiev politician
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A Kiev member of parliament criticized Ukrainians who flee the nation during its war with Russia, implying they were not patriotic since they prioritized their lifestyle and comfort
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Young children pull a sled as they walk up a slope through snow in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on February 7, 2023. (AFP)
Ukraine should prohibit children from leaving the country amid the war with Russia, radical Ukrainian politician Dmytro Korchynsky proposed, saying they should be forced to experience war hardships and shape their hatred for Moscow.
“We are not fighting for democracy, we are fighting for survival," the veteran Ukrainian nationalist and Brotherhood party leader said concerning the proposed restrictions.
“Ukrainian children must not hear Polish or German in their environment. They must be brought up to the sound of air sirens, grow up here hating the enemy. They must mature here, in Ukraine,” Korchynsky told the Great Lviv news outlet on Sunday.
He asserted that Kiev's survival is dependent on banning both "fighting-age men" and "children from leaving,” expressing that children who sought refuge outside the country amid the war will not come back.
A radical sense of patriotism and character development
At the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, Kiev prohibited men of military service age from fleeing the country without special permits. Despite this ruling, hundreds of thousands have illegally left the country, ultimately risking their lives.
Kiev has urged Western governments to encourage Ukrainian men residing in their countries to return home and serve in the military.
The right-wing politician conveyed his belief that a child's character strengthens if they witness regular funerals, while denouncing how Ukrainians are "relaxed" and value their lifestyle and survival over the nation.
”If somebody does not understand that he must love Ukraine, we will make him love Ukraine, whether he likes it or not. We’ll force him to stay and either fight or support the front,” he said.
Korchynsky claimed that he has fought in multiple armed conflicts against Russia, including in Transnistria, Abkhazia, and Chechnya.
The politician is wanted by Russian law enforcement for his incendiary ideologies.
