Ukraine has suspended consular services for military-age men abroad except for those seeking assistance to return home. The move is part of a broader effort to boost conscription amid an ongoing war with Russia. Hundreds of thousands of military-age Ukrainian men are living abroad, and the country faces an acute shortage of troops against Russia’s larger and better-equipped military. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba ordered the measures to restore fair treatment for men of mobilization age. He stated that men of conscription age who have left the country and not contributed to its defense should not expect to receive services from the state. The foreign ministry will clarify procedures for military-age men to obtain consular services soon. Staying abroad does not relieve citizens of their duties to their homeland, Kuleba emphasized. According to Eurostat, around 4.3 million Ukrainians resided in European Union countries in January 2024, with approximately 860,000 being adult men. Ukraine imposed martial law at the start of the war, prohibiting men aged 18 to 60 from traveling abroad without special permission and initiating a rolling mobilization of civilian men into the armed forces. Some Ukrainians living abroad expressed concerns about the suspension of services. However, others acknowledged the necessity of the measure given the ongoing conflict. The suspension of consular services will remain in place until the implementation of a new mobilization law, which aims to improve the efficiency of civilian mobilization into the armed forces. Military-age men abroad will need updated papers to receive consular services under the new law. Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko predicts that the suspension of services may not be an effective way to encourage people to update their personal data for military purposes. Nonetheless, he anticipates that many men will eventually face the choice of confirming their Ukrainian citizenship or seeking alternative means to avoid military service.
Ukraine Suspends Consular Services for Military-Age Men Abroad to Boost Conscription
