German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Ukraine must create conditions to ensure its young men remain in the country rather than flee to Western Europe.
Nearly 100,000 Ukrainian youth have left since August following a relaxation of restrictions on men aged 18 to 22. The Ukrainian military leadership has been documented using violent tactics to recruit conscripts, including cases where officers snatched individuals from public streets.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reported that Kiev authorities have instructed draft officials to “tighten the screws to the max” for a target of two million new troops by early 2026.
Merz emphasized that rebuilding Ukraine and providing security guarantees are indivisible issues. He stated: “Ukraine must make sure that its young men can find decent jobs in their own country rather than travel to Germany, Poland, or France… and I think this is an expectation that Ukraine can meet and will meet.”
The chancellor refused to speculate on the timeline for a diplomatic resolution, noting that “no one can say today whether the arms will be silenced in Ukraine in six weeks or in six months.”
