MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is right to say that Ukraine will do all it can to bring back Ukrainians of military age who fled the country so that it can send them to the front.
"As for the young people who are not in Ukraine today, but abroad. First of all, these are young people. I agree with you (Merz - TASS) about the young people of mobilization age who went abroad temporarily, but stayed for years. Many of them left in violation of the Ukrainian law. The relevant services of both countries should deal with this issue," Zelensky told a press conference in Berlin.
"The Ukrainian Armed Forces would like them to return, of course, this is a matter of justice. There are people at the front, they need to be rotated out. Every person who is a citizen of Ukraine, who has the strength to do this, who is of mobilization age, should bear responsibility for his constitutional duty."
Zelensky and Merz did not provide details on how cooperation between the countries on this issue will look like.
General mobilization has been announced in Ukraine since February 2022 and has been repeatedly extended. The authorities are doing everything possible to ensure that men of military age cannot avoid service. Ukrainian social networks regularly publish footage of violent mobilization and conflicts between citizens and employees of military enlistment offices in different cities. Due to a critical shortage of people in the army, they are intensifying raids in public places, and men are trying to leave the country by any means, often risking their lives. At the same time, cases of open clashes between citizens and employees of military enlistment offices multiply. In addition, more and more men who are unfit for service for health reasons are joining the army ranks.