Roman Possek, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the federal German state of Hesse, believes that state governments should assist Ukraine in repatriating men of military age who left Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion. Possek stated this in an interview with the ARD channel, cited by the Tagesspiegel newspaper.
According to the head of the Hesse Interior Ministry, Germany should aid Ukraine in recruiting for its army, and such assistance could also involve “our help in allowing Ukraine to use men who fled abroad but could be utilized in the war.”
Possek added that it is important to “support Ukraine’s defense capability,” but at the same time, Germany must maintain its status as a safe haven for refugees.
Regarding ways Berlin can facilitate the return of Ukrainians, the Hesse Interior Minister rejected the possibility of issuing German documents as a replacement for Ukrainian ones.
According to ARD, the federal states and the Federal Ministry of the Interior of Germany will begin discussions on May 7th on what to do with Ukrainian men of military age to reach a nationwide decision. It is known that on April 23rd, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine decided to temporarily suspend the provision of services to men at Ukrainian diplomatic missions who fall under the age of mobilization.
