Ukraine and Germany discuss return of conscription-age Ukrainian men

Oleksii Makeiev, Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany, has said that Ukraine and Germany have established a joint working group to discuss mechanisms to encourage Ukrainians of conscription age to return home.

Source: European Pravda, citing Makeiev in an interview with Ukrinform

Quote: "We are grateful to the Germans for helping develop the idea of setting up Unity Hubs for Ukrainians. The first one has already opened in central Berlin and is gradually becoming fully operational. I personally visited it during its first days of operation. Representatives of the Pension Fund were there, and Ukrainian pensioners immediately formed queues to ask them specific questions."

Details: Makeiev said the work on coordinating the return of Ukrainians has two components.

"The first is the Unity Hub – our government's work with the Ukrainian community, where we explain what opportunities are available. The second is to understand how we can facilitate returns together with the Germans. That is why a working group has been established between Ukrainian and German authorities to exchange information," the ambassador said.

Makeiev added that the group is also considering the return of conscription-age men who left Ukraine illegally.

"I will not disclose these mechanisms for now. They are currently being discussed within the framework of this working group," Makeiev said.

Background:

• On 26 June, the European Commission proposed extending the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukrainians fleeing the war in the EU by another year, until 4 March 2028.
• The proposal excludes people who fled Ukraine to avoid military service.
• The European Union is expected to decide on the status of Ukrainian refugees in July 2026. If no agreement is reached, the decision is expected to be postponed until September.

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