Germany could help Ukraine with finding fighting-age men, minister says
German foreign minister says Berlin could share its data on Ukrainian refugees with authorities in Kyiv.
The German government may assist Ukraine in recruiting fighting-age men residing in Germany, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Johann Wadephul. In a recent interview with the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, Wadephul stated that Berlin could share data on Ukrainian men with German residency permits. "We know who lives here.
For example, who receives social benefits or who is registered here," he added. These men could potentially be contacted by the Ukrainian government and requested to return to Ukraine. However, the process should be carried out "without coercion," the minister emphasized. Approximately 1 million Ukrainian refugees have obtained temporary residence permits in Germany since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, including around 450,000 men, according to official 2025 data.
Since February 2022, Ukraine has been under martial law, preventing men aged 25 to 60 eligible for military service from leaving the country. Around 1.17 million adult Ukrainian men currently benefit from temporary protection across the EU, and their presence abroad has been a topic of discussion between Kyiv, Brussels, and EU capitals.
In November 2025, German Chancellor Freidrich Merz urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to curb the flow of young men leaving Ukraine. In April of this year, Zelenskyy stated during a press conference with Merz that the return of men of fighting age was "a matter of fairness." In July, the EU banned men of fighting age from its refugee scheme due to "the evolving military needs of Ukraine." The ban applies only to new applicants and not to those already residing in the EU.
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