KIEV, Sept 14 (Askume) – Poland’s foreign minister said European governments should end benefits for Ukrainian men of military age living in their countries, saying the move would help Ukraine mobilise more troops to fight against Russian forces.
Abolishing social benefits for male Ukrainian refugees would also benefit the state finances of Western European host countries, Polish Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart in Kyiv.
Eurostat data shows that as of July this year, more than 4.1 million Ukrainians have temporary protection status in EU countries, about 22% of whom are adult men.
“Social security payments to Ukrainians eligible for conscription should be stopped. There should be no financial incentives in Ukraine to avoid conscription,” Sikorsky told a meeting of international leaders in Kyiv.
“It is not a human right to be paid to avoid conscription to defend the country. We don’t do that in Poland.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrei Tsibiha welcomed Sikorsky’s call.
“It is time for the EU to raise the issue of setting up a plan for the return of Ukrainians,” Sibiha said. “Of course, appropriate conditions must be created for this, but it should be on the agenda.”
The war with Russia has been going on for almost 31 months. Moscow’s troops are slowly but steadily advancing in eastern Ukraine. Kiev needs more troops to maintain the defense line, replace tired soldiers and replace losses.
Russia has significant advantages in terms of men and weapons on the battlefield.
Earlier this year, Ukraine passed new legislation and implemented measures to accelerate military recruitment, including lowering the fighting age from 27 to 25.
Under the new law, Kiev ordered Ukrainian men living abroad to update their enlistment information online and encouraged them to return to Ukraine to fight.
Ukraine imposed martial law at the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, banning men aged 18 to 60 from travelling abroad without special permission and beginning a gradual mobilisation of citizens into the armed forces.
But many men of military age still flee abroad to avoid being drafted, amid reports of corruption in the recruitment system, leading some to pay bribes to avoid serving.
