Aid for Kyiv could decline, young Ukrainians are leaving the country

Volodymyr Zelensky has relaxed the rules on leaving the country for men who are not yet liable for military service, which only begins at the age of 25. Previously, men between the ages of 18 and 60 were not allowed to leave the country. Under the new regulations, men between the ages of 18 and 22 are allowed to leave and return without fear of prosecution.

However, politicians in Germany and Poland are expressing growing concern about the influx of young Ukrainian men into EU countries. According to Politico, suspicions are growing that many of them are doing so to avoid military service – which could weaken support for Kyiv.

“We have no interest in young Ukrainian men spending their time in Germany instead of defending their country,” said Jürgen Hardt, foreign policy spokesman for the CDU.

In Germany, where around 1.2 million Ukrainians live, the influx of young men rose from 19 to over 1,400 per week between August and October. A similar trend can be seen in Poland, where around one million Ukrainians live.

Around 490,000 Ukrainians in Germany currently receive unemployment benefits. The AfD, which is leading in the polls, is calling for social benefits for them to be abolished. Other politicians want to wait and see how the situation develops first.

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