Germany’s Merz wants tight travel regulations for young Ukrainian men

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is calling on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to impose stricter travel rules on young men who leave the country to avoid enlisting in the army.

“I asked him to ensure that these young people stay in the country because they are needed there and not in Germany,” Merz said Friday after a meeting with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Berlin.

“We need everyone who can lend a hand, who can help – up to military service – in Ukraine,” Merz said in Berlin.

According to Merz, a “considerable proportion” of young Ukrainians aged 18 to 24 are fleeing to Germany because military service does not begin until the age of 25.

Zelensky eased travel restrictions for young men in August, with a notable increase in arrivals to Germany since then.

The chancellor said she discussed the issue “very openly” with Zelensky in a phone call on Thursday, as well as the need to investigate the corruption scandal in kyiv.

Merz said he “urgently asked Zelensky to put an end to this as quickly as possible and to review the structures in the fight against corruption in Ukraine.”

According to the German government, Zelensky informed Merz of the investigations as part of the call, promising “full transparency and long-term support for independent anti-corruption authorities.”

Merz also reiterated the need to support Ukraine “financially and, if necessary, militarily in the coming years.” Supporting kyiv is in the interests of Germany and the European Union, he said.