Merz asks Zelensky to reduce outflow of young Ukrainian men to Germany
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he told President Volodymyr Zelensky that the number of young Ukrainian men coming to Germany should be reduced, AFP reported on Nov. 13.
Following a phone call with the Ukrainian leader, Merz said that young Ukrainians should remain to "serve in their own country."
"They are needed there," the chancellor added.
Close to 1.3 million Ukrainian refugees have been recorded in Germany as of October 2025 after fleeing Russia's full-scale invasion. This represents the highest number among all EU countries.
Commenting on the phone call, Zelensky said he briefed Merz on the situation at the front and thanked Germany for its military and political support, without mentioning the issue of Ukrainian refugees.
Military-age men have faced strict travel restrictions under martial law, instituted when Russia launched its all-out war in 2022.
Germany said that young Ukrainian men began arriving in large numbers after Kyiv eased travel rules for those aged between 18 and 22 in August.
As a result, the number of Ukrainian men in this age group registering in Germany went from 100 a week to almost 1,000, according to the German Interior Ministry.
The development comes as Kyiv struggles with a continued manpower shortage on the front as Russia sustains offensive operations in the east and south of Ukraine.
Around 490,000 Ukrainians of working age staying in Germany are receiving unemployment benefits, a point of criticism from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
AfD, Germany's leading opposition party, which has consistently criticized Berlin's military and economic support for Kyiv, suggested that unemployment benefits for Ukrainians should be replaced with lower-level payments for asylum seekers.
Facing political pressure, Germany's ruling coalition is preparing a bill that would reduce benefits for Ukrainians who arrived after April 1, with the aim of incentivizing them to seek employment.
