Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukraine’s foreign minister on Friday doubled down on the government’s decision to bolster the combat force pool by cutting consular services to draft-age men outside the country, saying it was a matter of “justice.”
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the policy would ensure the men in Ukraine and those who left were treated fairly.
“This is about justice, justice in the relationship between Ukrainian men abroad and Ukrainian men inside Ukraine,” he said.
Ukraine this week secured a much-needed military aid package from the United States after months of wrangling in Congress. But in addition to weapons, Ukraine needs troops. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded in more than two years of fighting. Russia has also suffered heavy losses, but has many more recruits to throw into the fight.
Earlier this month, Ukraine lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 in an effort to bolster the size of its military.
The latest government decision means that men between 18 and 60 cannot renew their passports unless they return to Ukraine. Some opposition politicians and human rights activists have criticized the move, saying it could deprive Ukrainians of access to services and benefits in other countries, and could backfire by prompting men to seek refugee status elsewhere.
Kuleba gave short shrift to that argument, pointing out that Ukrainians fleeing war were treated better in their host countries than refugees from many other parts of the world.
“They owe everything they have now in these countries to this fact: their Ukrainian citizenship,” Kuleba said at a news conference alongside his Latvian counterpart, Baiba Braže. And these men should not forget this when they argue that the Ukrainian state owes them something. “They should not forget that they owe much more to the State of Ukraine.”
The passport announcement has been welcomed by many people in Ukraine who agree with Kuleba’s argument about justice.
“Why should some have to fight while others evade and hide abroad?” said Yuliia Lystopad, a bank worker in Kyiv.
Although Ukraine repulsed an all-out Russian invasion in the weeks after President Vladimir Putin sent troops in February 2022, Moscow’s forces occupy about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory and attack the entire country with drones, bombs and missiles. .
On the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine, Russia is slowly gaining ground against outnumbered and outgunned troops.
A soldier who gave only his first name, Oleh, for security reasons, said it was essential to send more troops to the field.
“Someone has to fight,” he said. “The front line is getting closer and there are fewer guys in front.
“But for now, we stand firm and fight,” he added. “All the guys understand that if they (the Russians) go further, it will be difficult for everyone here.”
Kuleba said he hoped countries hosting displaced Ukrainians would share the Ukrainian government’s logic and approach.
Poland, home to hundreds of thousands of displaced Ukrainians, has indicated it is willing to help ensure military-age men return home. The Defense Ministry said in a statement that “Poland is willing to assist Ukraine due to the needs of the Ukrainian military” and that bilateral talks would be necessary to reach an agreement on the deals.
Braže said Latvia supports the Ukrainian government’s goals of ensuring it has the people it needs, but did not commit to taking specific measures. He said Latvian authorities “would be in dialogue with our Ukrainian counterparts to ensure that everything necessary will be done.”
“Ukraine is fighting for all of us,” he said. “It’s our security too.”
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Associated Press writers Anton Shtuka in kyiv and Monika Scislowska in Warsaw contributed to this report.