A working group has been formed: Kyiv and Berlin are looking for a way to bring draft dodgers back to Ukraine
3 July 15:11
Ukraine and Germany are discussing, within the framework of a joint working group, mechanisms for the return of Ukrainians of draft age who have left the country illegally. This was reported by Oleksiy Makeyev, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, in an interview with the Ukrinform news agency, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
He cited the Unity Hub centers as one of the key tools for engaging with the Ukrainian community abroad.
“We are grateful to the Germans for helping to develop the idea of creating centers for Ukrainians—the Unity Hubs. The first one has already opened in central Berlin and is gradually becoming more active. For example, I personally visited it during its first days of operation. Representatives of the Pension Fund were there, and Ukrainians immediately lined up to see them,” Makeyev said.
Such centers, he said, allow the Ukrainian government to stay closer to its citizens.
“The state is present here. It is expanding the range of services it can provide. Ukrainian citizens also have more opportunities to interact with one another. Ukrainian civil society organizations in Germany can obtain office space. That’s why this is a very good innovation,” the diplomat emphasized.
Return of men of draft age to Ukraine: what is known
Oleksiy Makeev explained that efforts to coordinate the return of citizens consist of two main areas.
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“The first is the Unity Hub—that is, our government’s work with the Ukrainian community to explain what opportunities 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.
The diplomat also highlighted the need to understand the structure of the Ukrainian community in Germany.
“We must know our audience. Today, there are about 1.3 million 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 the majority of Ukrainians have already integrated,” Makeev said.
A Shared Interest for Kyiv and Berlin
The ambassador emphasized that both capitals are interested in maintaining the connection between Ukrainians abroad and their homeland.
“It is in our interest and in Germany’s interest to ensure that we can count on professionally trained Ukrainians during Ukraine’s recovery. This is our shared interest,” he emphasized.
When asked about 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 yet. They are currently being discussed within the framework of this working group,” Makeev stated.
As a reminder, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz considers it necessary to work on the return of young Ukrainian men from Germany to their homeland. As of May 30, there were 1.348 million refugees from Ukraine in Germany, including 356,000 men aged 18 to 63.
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