Europe Seeks Return Mechanism for Ukrainian Men Who Fled Illegally
European countries are looking for a mechanism to return Ukrainian men who left the country in violation of mobilization rules. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the issue in Dublin but did not explain how any mechanism would work or whether agreements had been reached, while acknowledging that many Ukrainians fled to escape the war.
Key points
- European countries are seeking a mechanism to return Ukrainian men who left Ukraine in violation of the law.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the issue during a joint press conference with Ireland’s prime minister in Dublin on November 11.
- Zelenskyy did not specify how the proposed mechanism would operate or whether agreements already existed.
- Ireland continues to discuss the possible return of Ukrainian citizens with the Ukrainian government.
- Ukraine’s army faces a personnel shortage, one of the main challenges for Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi.
- About 120,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Ireland since the start of the full-scale invasion; roughly 80,000 were reportedly there at the time.
- Polish authorities said they did not send reported letters ordering Ukrainians to report for military service and described them as forged.
Why it matters
Any return mechanism could affect Ukrainian men abroad, including those who left to escape the war. It also links European enforcement of migration rules to Ukraine’s acute need for military personnel and its post-war reconstruction requirements.
What happened
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Dublin that European countries are seeking a way to return Ukrainian men who left the country in violation of the law. He did not outline the proposed mechanism or say whether any agreements had been reached. Ireland is separately continuing discussions with the Ukrainian government, while European leaders are reportedly considering the issue. Zelenskyy tied the debate to the army’s personnel shortage and acknowledged that many Ukrainians went abroad because of the war, making it difficult to separate unlawful departures from flight. He also said Ukraine will need people to rebuild the country after the war.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The Ukrainian framing focuses on returning men who left in violation of mobilization rules while acknowledging the large number of people who fled the war. It links the proposed European mechanism to the army’s personnel shortage, greater accountability for evading mobilization, and the country’s future reconstruction needs. Zelenskyy also emphasized the strain that prolonged separation has placed on Ukrainian families.
How international sources describe it
The international dimension is framed through Ireland’s discussions with the Ukrainian government and the reported search by European countries for a return mechanism. European attention also reflects the difficulty of distinguishing men who left unlawfully from those who fled to save their lives, as well as a dispute over enforcement of Ukrainian mobilization requirements abroad.
Where reporting differs
Ukrainian reports differ on the status of the initiative: some describe European proposals for a return mechanism, others say European leaders are raising the issue, and Ireland is still discussing it with the Ukrainian government. Separately, Poland’s authorities denied sending reported letters that threatened Ukrainian men with arrest and extradition if they failed to report for military service, calling the letters forged.
Background
Many Ukrainians left the country because of the war, complicating efforts to determine who should return. About 120,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Ireland since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, with approximately 80,000 reportedly present there at the time of the announcement. In January 2025, Rzeczpospolita reported that Ukrainian men in Poland had received letters requiring them to report for military service; Polish authorities later said they had not sent such letters. Earlier, Zelenskyy said in April that Ukraine and Germany needed to address men who had left the country unlawfully.