Ukraine is requiring men aged 18 to 60 to return to renew their passports, in a move to ensure fair mobilization.
Tuesday 30 April at 23:44
Last week, the Ukrainian government announced that it was suspending consular services for Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 who are staying abroad.
That makes up a group of 860,000 men living in the EU, who now have to return to Ukraine in order to renew their passports. It will no longer be possible to have new passports sent abroad.
The decision comes shortly after the country lowered the minimum age for conscriptionPersons who are required by law to serve in the military. from 27 to 25 years.
https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1782698925100589223 Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote that it is unacceptable for conscripted men to flee the country and then expect to receive services from their state.
– That’s not how it works. Our country is at war, he wrote in a post earlier this week, adding:
– Staying abroad does not exempt a citizen from his or her duties towards the home country.
In a radio interview with the BBC, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that the decision is about justice.
– There is a feeling in this country that some people give everything, while other people just flee the country and decide to wait out the war in a comfortable environment, said the spokesperson and continued:
– Then come to Ukraine and formalize your relationship with the conscription office, or in practice you make your choice and basically declare that you are not ready to be associated with this country anymore.
Neighboring countries will help
Kuleba has stated that he hopes that countries that have taken in Ukrainian refugees will support Ukraine in its decision.
This is written by the news agency AP.
Neighboring Poland is home to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees. The government was early on in expressing that it will assist with the mobilization of Ukrainian men for the war.
Latvia and Lithuania also say they are ready to encourage conscripted men to go home.
– No one will be forced to leave Lithuania, but these people can be restricted in terms of social benefits, work permits and documents, said Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kascziunas, according to local media.
Latvia’s foreign minister stated that Lativa supports Ukraine’s goal of ensuring that the army has the people it needs.
