Comment by Dirk Emmerich:
Friedrich Merz mentioned this fact by the way: in a speech at an economic conference in Berlin, the German Chancellor said that in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he also touched on the topic of the sharply increased number of Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 22 who have been arriving in Germany since September. "I asked him (Zelensky - ed.) to make sure that these young people stay in their homeland, because they are needed there, not in Germany," Merz said.
Why Merz's request to Zelensky is understandable
Merz's words sounded like an insult to an ally. But is that really so? The answer is not easy. Most people I have spoken to on this issue in recent days consider the German Chancellor's request understandable. Germany cannot support Kiev militarily and financially, and at the same time accept young Ukrainians en masse, who are subject to mobilization into the Ukrainian army from the age of 25.
The incident is also related to domestic political debates in Germany. In recent weeks, there has been a heated debate in Germany about whether, in view of the threat from Russia, compulsory military service, which was abolished in 2011, should be reintroduced. The Merz government is facing strong resistance on this issue. The two things simply do not go together: on the one hand - to reintroduce universal military service in Germany, and on the other - to allow young Ukrainians to escape military service in their own country.
Volodymyr Zelensky undoubtedly wanted something completely different. Until August, Ukraine had a complete ban on men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country. In August, the Ukrainian president decided that young people under the age of 22 would be allowed to travel abroad. With this measure, Zelensky aimed to encourage young people to complete their education in Ukraine and establish a closer connection with their homeland, rather than leaving it at the age of 17 to avoid the travel ban for 18-year-olds.
So far, however, Zelensky's idea has not been crowned with success. In September and October, nearly 100,000 young Ukrainians left their homeland, and many of them also arrived in Germany.
Should Merz have disclosed the contents of this conversation?
In this sense, Merz's request to Zelensky is completely understandable and essentially correct. But was it really necessary to learn about the contents of the telephone conversation between them at such a moment? Ukraine is in a difficult situation: the city of Pokrovsk, for which heavy fighting has been going on for more than a year, could fall at any moment. After the massive Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure, the country is facing a harsh winter. And Zelensky himself is the subject of much criticism due to the major corruption scandal in his entourage.
By talking about their phone call, Merz has hardly strengthened the Ukrainian president's position. Moreover, in Germany itself, the left-wing opposition accuses the chancellor of cynicism: he is sending Ukrainian men back to the war zone, while at the same time threatening to reduce benefits paid to Ukrainian refugees in Germany. “It is a human right to refuse military service for moral reasons“, recalled Clara Bünger, an expert on refugee policy for the Left Party.
However, there is a lot of emotional rhetoric in such statements. After all, it is not about deporting Ukrainian citizens from Germany. Legally, this is impossible as long as they have temporary protection status, and the EU has just extended it until March 2027. By planning to reduce financial support for them – from 563 euros per month to 441 euros per month – Merz wants to increase incentives for Ukrainian refugees to look for work. The employment rate among them in Germany is currently around 50%, and in other EU countries this indicator is significantly higher.
The Chancellor had promised to limit migration to Germany
Of course, the Chancellor has not forgotten that he has repeatedly promised voters to limit migration. Above all, the promise concerned illegal immigration, but not only it. So his recent statements on this issue also have domestic political reasons.
If we return to the question of young Ukrainians aged 18 to 22 and whether Friedrich Merz offended Volodymyr Zelensky or Ukraine with his statement - no, he did not. Zelensky needs young Ukrainians and must do everything possible to keep them in the country - for its reconstruction after the end of the war, but also as soldiers so that Kiev can continue to resist Russian aggression. It sounds cruel, but such is the harsh reality.
* Dirk Emmerich is a correspondent for the German TV channels n-tv and RTL. He lived and worked for many years in Moscow and Washington and was a correspondent for n-tv in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and other countries in conflict.