Ukraine stopped issuing passports to foreign men

According to the report of the international group Tasnim news agency quoting According to Der Spiegel, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have fled the war abroad – but the country urgently needs new troops, so Kiev is already tightening passport rules.

Kiev tightened the rules for the mobilization of soldiers about two weeks ago. Among other things, those who oppose military service are punished more severely and those who do military service are released later. Now the next step will follow, and at this step, Ukraine will stop issuing passports to men aged 18 to 60 living abroad.

It was published on the official online portal of the government on Wednesday. In particular, the law states that sending passports to diplomatic missions of Ukraine abroad “is no longer done”. This means that Ukrainian men of military age will only be able to get their passports in the country in the future.

This action is part of the Ukrainian government’s efforts to encourage men to return to their country. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv announced the temporary suspension of consular services for Ukrainian men living abroad between the ages of 18 and 60 – with the exception of issuing ID cards to return to Ukraine.

On Wednesday, hundreds of Ukrainians protested in front of the passport office in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, because they were not given their documents. The authorities justified the stoppage with “technical problems”. Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Savrych, assured AFP that all requests for travel documents submitted before April 23 will be reviewed.

After more Since two years of war, Ukraine has been under increasing pressure from Russia. The army has recently been having trouble recruiting new recruits.

Ukraine’s government has repeatedly asked men of military age to return, sometimes subtly and sometimes explicitly. . “We are all here,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video speech a day after the Russian attack. But now his tone has become harsher. In January, adviser Zelensky called on host countries to stop supporting Ukrainian refugees so they could return home. According to him, Ukraine needs men, in defense and as taxpayers. are leaving Ukraine – for example if they care for three or more children or suffer from serious health problems.

Ukraine wants to ensure that Return Ukrainian men of military age living abroad. Dmytro Kulba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, wrote on X online service yesterday: Living abroad does not exempt a citizen from obligations towards his homeland. That is why he ordered measures aimed at “restoring the balance between men of military age in Ukraine and those serving abroad.”

Until now, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men have fled the green border abroad with fake documents to avoid military service. According to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klimenko, his office is currently looking for hundreds of thousands of people who allegedly ignored draft warnings and summonses.

end of message/