Speaking during a three-day visit to Kyiv, Radosław Sikorski said that the move would help Ukraine recruit more soldiers to fight against Russian forces, the Reuters news agency reported.
After talks with his Ukrainian counterpart and other senior officials in Kyiv, Sikorski stated that halting social benefits for men eligible for conscription would also ease the financial burden on western European countries hosting them.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski (right) meets with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha (left) during a visit to Kyiv on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Photo: EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO
As of July, over 4.1 million Ukrainians had temporary protection status in the European Union, with around 22 percent being adult men, according to the EU’s statistical office, Eurostat.
“Stop paying those social security payments for people who are eligible for the Ukrainian draft," Sikorski said during an international leaders' conference in Kyiv over the weekend. "There should be no financial incentives for avoiding the draft in Ukraine."
He added: "It’s not a human right to be paid to avoid the draft to defend your country. We in Poland don’t do it."
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha welcomed Sikorski’s remarks, supporting the idea of developing European Union programs that would encourage Ukrainian nationals to return home, Poland's PAP news agency reported.
"It is definitely time to raise the issue of creating the right conditions for the return of Ukrainians,” Sybiha said, as quoted by the Polish state news agency.
"I fully support Minister Sikorski’s proposal," he added.
Earlier this year, Ukraine introduced laws aimed at speeding up military mobilization, including lowering the conscription age from 27 to 25, the PAP news agency reported. The government also instructed Ukrainians living abroad to monitor conscription updates online and urged them to return and join the fight.
Despite these measures, many military-age men continue to flee abroad to avoid conscription, according to officials in Kyiv.
Reports of corruption within Ukraine’s recruitment system suggest that some may be able to bribe their way out of military service, officials have said.
While in Kyiv on Friday, Sikorski reaffirmed Poland's unwavering support for Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia's invasion.
During his visit, Sikorski held talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Olga Stefanishyna, in addition to meeting with Sybiha, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
The Polish foreign minister told a news conference in the Ukrainian capital on Friday that Warsaw is considering transferring MiG-29 fighter jets to Kyiv to help it defend itself against Moscow’s invasion.
Russia invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea on February 24, 2022, starting the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II.
Monday is day 936 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: IAR, PAP
Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Radio Poland's Agnieszka Bielawska.
