Polish Minister Visiting Kyiv Calls for Ending Benefits for Ukrainian Men in Europe, According to Reuters

By Olena Harmash

KYIV – Poland’s foreign minister has suggested that European governments should stop welfare benefits for Ukrainian men of military age residing in their countries. He believes this action would enable Ukraine to recruit more troops to combat Russian forces.

After a meeting in Kyiv with his Ukrainian counterpart, Radoslaw Sikorski argued that discontinuing social benefits for Ukrainian male refugees would also be financially advantageous for Western European nations.

As of July, over 4.1 million Ukrainians held temporary protection status in EU countries, with approximately 22% being adult males, according to Eurostat data.

"Cease the social security payments for those eligible for the Ukrainian draft. There should be no financial incentives for evasion," Sikorski stated at an international leaders’ conference in Kyiv. "It is not a human right to receive payments to avoid military service and defend one’s country. Poland does not support this."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha endorsed Sikorski’s remarks, emphasizing the need for the European Union to develop initiatives aimed at assisting Ukrainians in returning home, provided that suitable conditions are prepared.

As the war with Russia approaches its 31st month, with slow but consistent Russian advancements in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv requires additional soldiers to bolster defense lines and manage troop rotations.

The Russian military continues to have a substantial edge in personnel and weaponry on the battlefield.

Earlier this year, Ukraine enacted new legislation and measures aimed at accelerating military mobilization, including lowering the eligibility age for combat duty from 27 to 25. The new law also mandated that Ukrainian men living abroad renew their military draft information online and encouraged their return to Ukraine to enlist.

Since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022, Ukraine has been under martial law, preventing men aged 18 to 60 from traveling abroad without special permission while initiating a countrywide mobilization for civilian men. However, many men of military age have still sought refuge abroad to escape the draft, amid reports of corruption within the military recruitment process that allowed some to evade service through bribery.