Ukraine and Germany Discuss Mechanisms for Return of Mobilization-Age Men

Ukraine and Germany have established a joint working group to discuss mechanisms for the return of Ukrainian men of mobilization age. This was announced by Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, in an interview with «Ukrinform», citing «European Pravda».

Ambassador Makeiev noted that Germany assisted in developing the idea of creating centers for Ukrainians – Unity Hubs. The first such center has already opened in Berlin and is gradually becoming active. Makeiev personally visited it in the first days of operation, where, among others, representatives of the Pension Fund were present, to whom queues of Ukrainian pensioners immediately formed with specific questions.

The work on coordinating the return of Ukrainians has two components. The first is the Unity Hub, which involves the Ukrainian state working with the community to explain existing opportunities. The second component is joint work with the German side to facilitate returns. To this end, a working group has been established between Ukrainian and German agencies for information exchange.

Currently, within this working group, issues concerning the return of mobilization-age men who illegally left Ukraine are also being addressed. Makeiev declined to disclose the details of these mechanisms, stating that they are still under discussion. These discussions occur against the backdrop of the European Commission's proposal from June 26 to extend the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukrainians in the EU until March 4, 2028, with a possible exception for those evading service in the Ukrainian military. The EU plans to make a decision on the status of Ukrainian refugees in July or, if unsuccessful, in September 2026.