Key facts
- Germany could share data on Ukrainian men with residency permits with Kyiv.
- The data could be used to contact men eligible for military service.
- The process should be non-coercive.
- Around 450,000 Ukrainian men are among the 1 million refugees in Germany.
- Ukraine prohibits men aged 25-60 from leaving the country due to martial law.
Germany's government could assist Kyiv in identifying and contacting Ukrainian men residing in Germany who are eligible for military service, according to German Foreign Affairs Minister Johann Wadephul. In an interview, Wadephul stated that Berlin could share data on Ukrainian men holding German residency permits with Ukrainian authorities.
"We know who lives here. For example, who receives social benefits or who is registered here," Wadephul said, suggesting that based on this information, these men could be "contacted by the Ukrainian government and called upon." He stressed that the process should be conducted "without coercion."
Official data from 2025 indicates that approximately 1 million Ukrainian refugees have obtained temporary residence permits in Germany, with around 450,000 of them being men. Ukraine has been under martial law since February 2022, which prohibits men aged 25 to 60 who are eligible for military service from leaving the country.
Across the European Union, approximately 1.17 million adult Ukrainian men are currently receiving temporary protection. The presence of these men abroad has been a subject of discussion between Kyiv, Brussels, and various EU capitals. Previously, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to limit the number of young men leaving Ukraine. In April, Zelenskyy described the return of men of fighting age as a "matter of fairness."
In July, the EU implemented a ban on new male applicants of fighting age from its refugee scheme, a measure taken in response to Ukraine's evolving military requirements. This ban applies only to new applicants and does not affect men already residing within the EU.
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