Ukraine and Germany are discussing mechanisms for return of men of draft age, - Ambassador Makeev
As part of a joint working group, Ukraine and Germany are discussing mechanisms for the return of Ukrainians of draft age who have left the country illegally.
Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeev made this statement in an interview with Ukrinform, according to Censor.NET.
What is known?
According to the diplomat, the effort to coordinate the return of Ukrainians has two components.
"The first is Unity Hub—that is, our government’s work with the Ukrainian community to explain what options are available. The second is to understand how we can facilitate the return in cooperation with the Germans. That is why a working group has been established between Ukrainian and German agencies to facilitate the exchange of information," he noted.
It is important for Ukraine to understand the structure of the Ukrainian community in Germany, Makeev believes.
"We need to understand our audience. Today, there are about 1 million 300 thousand Ukrainians in Germany. We see that the proportion of those who are already working—who not only receive benefits but also pay social security contributions—is increasing significantly. These figures are not yet on par with those in Poland, but a large portion of Ukrainians have already integrated," the ambassador said.
At the same time, he emphasized that Kyiv and Berlin are interested in maintaining these people’s ties with Ukraine.
"It is in our interest and in Germany’s interest to ensure that we can count on professionally trained Ukrainians during Ukraine’s reconstruction. This is our shared interest," the ambassador added.
Return of men of draft age
Commenting on the issue of the return of men of draft age who left Ukraine illegally, the diplomat confirmed that the relevant mechanisms are already being worked out.
"I will not disclose these mechanisms at this time. They are currently being discussed as part of this working group’s efforts," Makeev said.
What led up to this?
It was previously reported that the European Commission is proposing to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians, but not to grant it to men of draft age.
