Ukraine Suspends Passport Renewals for Males Aged 18-60
Summary from the AllSides News Team
In efforts to boost conscription numbers, Ukraine has suspended consular services for males aged 18-60 living in or outside of Ukraine until May 18.
The Details: This means those affected won’t be able to renew their passports. Countries like Poland and Latvia have voiced support, saying they will help ensure military-age Ukrainian men return home.
For Context: Earlier this month, Ukraine lowered the conscription age from 27 to 25. According to Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency, 4.3 million Ukrainians live in EU countries and 860,000 of them are men over 18. Last week, the House and Senate approved over $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, among other allotments for Israel and the Indo-Pacific region.
Key Quotes: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba cited fairness as the reason for the suspension: “It’s about justice -- justice in the relationship between Ukrainian men abroad and Ukrainian men inside of Ukraine.” Of men living abroad, he said, “They owe everything they have now in these countries to this fact, their Ukrainian citizenship. And these men should not forget about this when they argue that the state of Ukraine owes them something. They should not forget that they owe much more to the state of Ukraine.”
How The Media Covered It: The Associated Press (Lean Left bias) said many in Ukraine agree with Kuleba’s argument about fairness. Fox News (Right bias) included a perspective from Ukrainian opposition lawmaker Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze who argued denying men living abroad these services could lead to “well-founded” legal challenges in the European Court of Human Rights.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Ukraine pushes to get military-age men to come home. Some neighboring countries say they will help
Ukraine’s foreign minister doubled down Friday on the government’s move to bolster the pool of fighting forces by cutting off consular services to conscription-age men outside the country, saying it was a question of “justice.”
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the policy would ensure men in Ukraine and those who have left were both treated fairly.
“It’s about justice -- justice in the relationship between Ukrainian men abroad and Ukrainian men inside of Ukraine,” he said.
Ukraine secured a much-needed package of military aid from the U.S. this week after months of...
From the Center
Kyiv issues restrictions on passports for military-age men
The Ukrainian government, further tightening regulations as it seeks to address a shortage of troops, approved rules temporarily barring military-age men from applying for passports abroad.
The provisions, and a subsequent clarification from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, were announced on Wednesday, a day after Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba suspended consular services for males aged 18 to 60 until May 18. He criticised those abroad for failing to serve in the 26-month-old war against Russia.
The Foreign Ministry said applicants seeking a special certificate declaring they wished to return to Ukraine would be able...
From the Right
Ukraine implements passport renewal restriction for military-age men outside the country
Ukraine worked Thursday to get much-needed new supplies of weapons and ammunition from a huge U.S. aid package to its eastern front line, where Russia was pressing forward with its efforts to take ground from outnumbered and outgunned troops.
Ukraine is also seeking to reverse the drain of potential soldiers from the country, announcing that men of conscription age will no longer be able to renew their passports from outside the country.
The Cabinet of Ministers said Wednesday that men between 18 and 60 who are deemed fit for miliary service will...
AllSides Picks
May 8th, 2024
May 8th, 2024
May 7th, 2024
May 7th, 2024
More News about Ukraine War from the Left, Center and Right
From the Left
From the Center
From the Right
