POLAND READY TO HELP UKRAINE TO GET MILITARY-AGE MEN BACK, MINISTER SAYS
Poland Ready to Help Ukraine to Get Military-age Men Back, Minister Says
April 24th, 22PM April 24th, 22PMWARSAW, April 24 (Reuters) - Poland is ready to help Ukraine in getting military-age male citizens to return and help their home country in fighting in the war against Russia, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian government announced rules on Wednesday under which passports for military-age men can be issued only inside the country instead of foreign diplomatic missions.
As a result, men aged between 18 and 59 living abroad will be unable to renew expiring passports or obtain new ones.
Poland has suggested in the past helping Ukraine so that those who are subject to military service go back to their country to fulfill their civic obligation, Kosiniak-Kamysz told Polsat News television.
"I think many Poles are outraged when they see young Ukrainian men in hotels and cafes, and they hear how much effort we have to make to help Ukraine," he said, without giving any details on how Poland will help.
Some 4.3 million Ukrainians are living in European Union countries as of January, 2024, of whom about 860,000 are adult men, the Eurostat database estimates. Poland has granted temporary protection status to 950,000 Ukrainians, the second-largest number after Germany.
"Any support is possible," Kosiniak-Kamysz said about how Poland would respond if Kyiv asked for help in bringing home those who may lose their right to stay in Poland once their passports expire. (Reporting by Marek Strzelecki; Editing by Sandra Maler)
2024-04-24T19:38:52Z dg43tfdfdgfd