Poland will encourage Ukrainians to return home and serve in the Ukrainian Defense Forces, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s website. This request was made by Ukraine. Currently, around 4.3 million Ukrainians reside in European Union countries, with approximately 860,000 being adult men, as reported by the Eurostat database in January 2024. Poland has granted temporary protection status to 950,000 Ukrainians, the second-highest number after Germany. The Polish Minister of Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, previously expressed Poland’s readiness to assist Ukraine by bringing military-age men back to help in the war against Russia, stating that many Poles are frustrated seeing young Ukrainian men in hotels and cafes, while they themselves work hard to support Ukraine.

However, according to the Polish Ambassador to Ukraine, Jarosław Guzy, the Polish authorities have no plans to encourage or hinder Ukrainian refugees from returning to Ukraine. Guzy emphasized that Poland values Ukrainians who are important for the Polish labor market. This development follows Ukraine’s recent ban on the issuance of foreign passports and Ukrainian citizens’ passports abroad, with men aged 18 to 60 only able to obtain these documents within Ukraine, as per a government resolution from April.

ملخص الأخبار

• The issue was raised at Ukraine’s request.
• Polish Minister of Defense expressed readiness to assist Ukraine.
• Polish Ambassador stated no plans to hinder refugees from returning.
• Ukrainian government recently banned issuance of passports abroad for men aged 18 to 60.