Lydia Karpenko is a Ukrainian journalist living in Toronto and a member of PEN Canada's Exile Writers Group.
Ukraine, which is struggling to reverse Russia's victory in a brutal war, is trying to shore up its military personnel by encouraging its citizens abroad to join the military. While the urge to strengthen Ukraine's exhausted military is understandable, the results of the new law may not have the impact the Ukrainian government hopes. I understand the dire needs of this country right now, but I don't believe this policy will be effective in improving our country's military fortunes.
In mid-April, Ukraine's parliament passed a new mobilization law that requires all men between the ages of 18 and 60 to provide personal data to military recruitment centers, but it remains to be seen whether the online portal will be operational soon. There are some skeptics as to whether this is the case. At the end of April, Ukrainian consulates around the world temporarily stopped providing services to male citizens of military age. It does not accept applications for passport renewals or new passports, nor does it assist in obtaining other documents such as marriage certificates. After the general mobilization law goes into effect on May 18, the consulate will resume services to these men, but only to those with military registration documents.
At the same time, government authorities decided that men between the ages of 18 and 60 must receive new passports directly in Ukraine. Exceptions include men with disabilities, guardians of people with disabilities, or military personnel receiving treatment overseas. A man who goes to Ukraine to obtain a passport may not be allowed to leave the country. After being examined by a military medical board and confirmed to be in good health, the men will receive military training and be sent to the front lines. However, Ukrainians living abroad who do not renew their passports may be unable to travel and may find it difficult to renew their temporary entry permits in their new country of residence.
These moves are framed as a matter of justice, given the fatigue of active-duty soldiers as the war drags on. “This is fair to the men who remained in Ukraine,” said the country's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. But while the new rules may have a positive impact on domestic audiences, they will do little to increase military manpower. It is unlikely that expatriate Ukrainians opposed to the fighting will be recalled, especially those who were already in other countries before the war began or whose children have reached adulthood abroad. In fact, many may choose to sever ties with Ukraine altogether.
This rule has caused serious concern for many Ukrainians living abroad who are angry about being denied government services. Some point out that Ukraine's constitution guarantees consideration and protection for nationals abroad.
In 2014, Anna Ryzhenko and her 18-year-old son Volodymyr fled their hometown of Donetsk and now live in Kilwinning, Scotland. But Volodymyr's passport is due to expire next summer, and Ryzhenko worries that it will be expensive to return to Ukraine and that he won't have a place to stay. “Our home is in Donetsk, which is still occupied,” she told me. “How will an 18-year-old boy live in Ukraine? Where and how will he work and how will he rent an apartment?”
After the consular restrictions were announced, Poland and Lithuania initially expressed intentions to help Ukraine bring the men home, perhaps by requiring them to show their passports before accessing public services. But other countries, such as Estonia, have said they will not expel Ukrainians whose passports have expired.
There are different opinions on this issue within Ukraine. Some support the return of Ukrainian men through restrictions, while others argue that Ukraine should open its borders and allow men who are avoiding war to leave, supporting the country economically in return. . In 2023 alone, Ukrainians abroad sent more than $15 billion to Ukrainians at home.
The Kremlin is watching the rising tensions within Ukraine and in the diaspora, and is probably rubbing its hands together with glee. Russia has far more recruits, but in this day and age, we should expect that wars are not just about the number of soldiers sent into battle. Winning the war against Vladimir Putin is essential for all democracies. Ukraine needs stronger and more consistent military and financial support from abroad, as well as human resources, to change the trajectory of the war.
