US State Department undecided on assistance for return of Ukrainian men of fighting age

The US State Department referred to the halt of consular services for Ukrainian men of draft age overseas as a "difficult question" that the Ukrainian government needs to address. Currently, the US government has no stance or verdict on the issue.

The official representative of the US diplomatic agency in Brussels, Daniel Saizek, stated this in a comment to Radio Svoboda.

Commenting on whether the U.S. government would help Ukraine return the men home, Saizek said it was a "difficult question," but "the government of Ukraine has the right to determine its policy":

"It is a difficult question, of course, what to do, especially with men outside Ukraine. However, the government of Ukraine has the right to determine its policy. There is no decision or position so far from the US government – to help or not to help Ukraine in this field."

The State Department representative reminded that European countries and, to some extent, the States received Ukrainians fleeing the full-scale invasion of Russia, and this "was another important part" of their support.

Saizek added that the fate of Ukraine's citizens is primarily its business and noted that the Ukrainian government should "carefully act on this issue."

"It is clear that people are needed for Ukraine's armed forces to defend the country… This is a difficult question, and it is difficult to say. It is important that Europe and, to some extent, the USA welcomed Ukrainians who decided that they and their families needed to leave Ukraine, and this was another important part of Europe's support. At the same time, it is right that the government of Ukraine needs to study the situation intensively and seriously for the armed forces, and the US government respects the right of the government of Ukraine to determine its policy," the State Department representative summarized.

For reference:

On April 11, Ukraine's parliament approved the "Law on Amending Selected Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding Military Service, Mobilization, and Military Registration" in its second reading. The President has already signed it, and it has been published.

In a press conference on April 23, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that consular services for Ukrainian men of conscription age living abroad are being suspended. He emphasized that residing outside the country does not exempt citizens from their obligations to their homeland, which includes keeping their military information updated with local authorities. Consequently, he has directed certain services to be withheld from these individuals.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs later indicated that after the mobilization law enters into force on May 18, 2024, "the process of accepting and considering applications for consular actions will continue taking into account the new requirements arising from the provisions of the law."

In turn, the European Union declared that they "took into account" the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to suspend the provision of services to men of mobilization age in diplomatic institutions.

On April 24, the Ukrainian government prohibited Ukrainian citizens and men of the conscription age from sending their passports abroad for travel purposes. This is stated in the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine [government – ed.] No. 443.

At the same time, Poland's Minister of Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, noted that his country is ready to assist Ukraine in returning men of military age home.

The Senate of Berlin noted that Ukrainian citizens can stay in Germany with an invalid passport.

It is worth adding that the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, Maximilian Kall, also stated that Ukraine's decision to suspend the provision of consular services for citizens of conscription age abroad would not affect the status of refugees in the Federal Republic of Germany.