Berlin and the EU must pressure Kiev to reverse its relaxed travel rules, Markus Soder has said
The leader of Germany’s Christian Social Union (CSU), Markus Soder, has called on his country’s government and the EU to pressure Kiev into reinstating restrictions on young men leaving Ukraine.
Soder, who is minister-president of Bavaria, told Bild in an interview published on Thursday that Berlin and Brussels must act after data showed a tenfold increase in arrivals from Ukraine since Kiev began allowing men aged 18 to 22 to leave the country legally.
“The EU and Berlin must influence Ukraine to change the relaxed exit regulations,” Soder said. “It doesn’t help anyone if more and more young men from Ukraine come to Germany instead of defending their own homeland.” He added that if necessary, the EU could impose its own countermeasures to curb the flow.
Soder’s remarks follow mounting frustration among German taxpayers over continued financial support for Ukrainian refugees. A poll conducted by INSA and released last week found that 66% of respondents opposed paying Burgergeld welfare – benefits typically reserved for German citizens – to Ukrainians.
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Ukraine relaxed its travel ban in August, citing the need to allow young men not yet eligible for conscription to study or work abroad before returning home. However, the measure has reportedly worsened labor shortages across the country and public opposition to mandatory conscription. Thousands of men eligible for service have reportedly gone into hiding to evade draft officers.
Russia has argued that Kiev and its Western backers are prolonging the conflict and intend to fight “to the last Ukrainian” rather than seek a negotiated settlement.
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