Europe
Ukraine moves to cut off consular services for military-age men abroad
By
The Washington Post April 23, 2024
David L. Stern and Serhiy Morgunov
The Washington Post April 23, 2024
Ukrainian troops with a Ukrainian-made Bohdana howitzer. (Defense of Ukraine/X)
KYIV — Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it has suspended consular services for Ukrainian men of military fighting age who have left the country, potentially cutting off their ability to renew passports or access other essential citizen services.
Thousands of Ukrainian men are believed to have left their country rather than risk being drafted to help defend against Russia’s continuing invasion, even though martial law bars men age 18 and over from traveling abroad. Thousands of others were already living abroad, typically to work or study, when Russia invaded in February 2022.
The restriction in consular services is in keeping with a recently adopted law on military mobilization, the ministry said in a statement published on its website.
The law is intended to help Ukraine overcome a severe shortage of soldiers on the front lines, in part by expanding the pool of men eligible to be drafted.
The ministry on Tuesday announced the “temporary suspension from April 23 of this year of accepting new applications for consular actions.” Applications for consular services received before Tuesday would not be affected, the ministry said.
“Temporary restrictions do not affect the provision of consular assistance in emergency situations with Ukrainian citizens abroad,” the statement added.
Those living outside Ukraine who are able to fight should not expect the same treatment as those who have remained in Ukraine — a restoration of “fair attitudes toward men of conscription age in Ukraine and abroad,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“Staying abroad does not relieve a citizen of his or her duties to the Homeland,” Kuleba wrote. However, he did not give further details about the changes, saying only that the ministry would “provide further clarifications” in the near future.
The mobilization law, adopted by Ukraine’s parliament earlier this month, simplified the conscription process and could add hundreds of thousands of troops to the country’s military.
Field commanders have reported an acute shortage of soldiers, especially infantry, and say they are struggling against an invading Russian army that enjoys a significant advantage in troops, weapons and ammunition.
The mobilization law, which takes effect next month, requires all men between ages 18 and 60 to update their personal information with their military registration office within 60 days. Under the law, those who fail to register and are living abroad should be denied consular services.
Men ages 25 to 60 can be drafted into the military, but Ukrainian officials adopted legislation at the start of Russia’s invasion prohibiting men 18 and over from leaving the country.
Kyiv’s front-line difficulties were exacerbated by a months-long delay in U.S. approval of a $60 billion military aid package, which was blocked by Republicans in Congress. On Saturday, the House adopted the aid bill, and the Senate is expected to approve it Tuesday.
“How it looks like now,” Kuleba wrote. “A man of conscription age went abroad, showed his state that he does not care about its survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from this state. It does not work this way. Our country is at war.”
“The main priority is to protect our homeland from destruction,” he said.