Ukrainian officials announced the suspension of consular services for male citizens of military age abroad until May 18, potentially making it impossible for them to renew their passports.
On March 24, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine announced the suspension of applications for consular services from citizens abroad, saying the decision was in accordance with the recently passed military mobilization law. The suspension order will end when the military mobilization law and related regulations take effect on May 18.
This means that Ukrainian men of military age abroad cannot renew or obtain new passports, nor receive documents such as marriage certificates. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said emergency cases are exempt from the above suspension.
Ukraine’s new law lowers the military mobilization age from 27 to 25, requiring all men in this age group to report to the military recruitment office to update documents, in person or remotely, within 60 days. Ukrainian men abroad need this document to use consular services.
Ukrainian soldiers on the front line in Donetsk province on March 6. Image: Reuters
“A man of military age goes abroad, shows he does not care about the survival of his country, then comes again and wants to receive services from his country,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. . “Things can’t happen like that.”
Mr. Kuleba’s harshly-toned comments seemed to demonstrate Ukraine’s growing frustration with citizens abroad who are seen as not contributing to efforts to protect the country. Many Ukrainian men have recently crossed the border abroad to avoid being drafted into the army.
The President of Ukraine stated the reason for lowering the military mobilization age
Volodymyr Fesenko, a political expert in Kiev, assessed the decision to suspend consular services as an attempt to pressure Ukrainian men of military age to comply with the military mobilization law about to take effect, as well as forcing they must submit personal information to the military command.
“This is unlikely to be effective,” Mr. Fesenko said. “However, Ukrainian men sooner or later have to choose whether to confirm their nationality or not.”
Situation of the Russia-Ukraine battlefield. Graphics: WP
The European Commission’s Eurostat data agency estimates that about 4.3 million Ukrainians are living in European Union (EU) countries as of January 2024, of which about 860,000 are men. mature.
Ukraine passed a new military mobilization law in the context of commanders on the front lines reflecting a serious shortage of soldiers, especially infantry, while having to fend off attacks by Russian forces with troops, superior weapons and ammunition.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov recently said that the Ukrainian armed forces currently have about 800,000 troops, but many of them are over 40 years old and do not have the best physical condition to meet combat requirements.
Nguyen Tien (According to Reuters)
