Ukraine's War Effort: Poland Locates Men Abroad
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Poland is prepared to help Ukraine locate men of military age who have fled abroad.
In an interview with PolSat television channel, the official noted that Warsaw has long offered Kyiv assistance in identifying those subject to mobilisation among Ukrainian refugees and immigrants, according to the BBC.
The specific forms of this assistance, according to the Polish minister, would be based on the wishes of the Ukrainian side.
"We believe that many of our fellow citizens have been and continue to be outraged when they see young Ukrainian men in cafes, especially considering the significant effort it takes us to support Ukraine," Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
"It is also understandable that those Ukrainians who are courageously fighting on the front lines have frustrations with their compatriots who are scattered around the world," the minister added.
The television channel's question to the minister stemmed from the recent announcement by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry that it has ceased issuing documents abroad for Ukrainian citizens aged 18 to 60. This measure is linked to the new mobilisation law recently adopted in Ukraine.
According to an estimate by the EU statistical service, in January 2024, there were approximately 4.3 million Ukrainian citizens in the EU countries, of whom an estimated 860,000 were men. Poland has officially granted temporary asylum to 950,000 Ukrainians, ranking second only to Germany in this regard.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
