Ukraine will not force men in the Czech Republic of draft age to return to their homeland, Ukrainian Ambassador to Prague Vasyl Zvarych told Radio Liberty on Thursday.
Ukraine, which has been defending itself from a Russian military invasion for over two and a half years, has long been at a significant numerical disadvantage against the aggressor’s army, and is trying to persuade Ukrainians living abroad to return.
“I assure you that there are no coercive measures to return Ukrainians of draft age to Ukraine,” Zvarych said. The motivation, he said, should be the conscience of every Ukrainian citizen, and the Ukrainian leadership is convinced that the duty of every Ukrainian, regardless of where he or she lives, is to defend the homeland.
“The task of the state is to create all conditions for the return of citizens who want to defend their country,” Zvarych also said.
In the spring, politicians in the Czech Republic debated the possibility of returning Ukrainians of conscription age to their homeland, possibly affecting tens of thousands of people. However, the Czech government’s options in this matter are limited. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky has made it clear that Prague does not support those who want to avoid conscription, i.e. men between the ages of 18 and 60.
