Ukraine's ambassador to the Czech Republic Vasyl Zvarych assures that men of draft age who are abroad won't be forcibly returned to Ukraine in a comment to Radio Liberty, APA reports citing Espreso.tv.
"I will say and reassure everyone that we are not talking about any compulsory measures to return Ukrainians to Ukraine, especially those of mobilization age. Of course, the motivation is the consciousness of every citizen of Ukraine. We believe that all citizens of Ukraine, regardless of their place of residence, have one duty to the state — to protect the homeland... Of course, this is the choice of every citizen who, for one reason or another, finds himself outside his country. Our task as a state is to create conditions for citizens who want to defend their country in Ukraine, to create all conditions for such a return," the diplomat said.
According to the Czech Interior Ministry, 253,000 Ukrainian men from Ukraine reside in the country permanently or temporarily. Among them, there are more than 95,000 who are in the Czech Republic on a temporary protection visa and are between the ages of 18 and 65.
In May, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, commenting on the possibility of extraditing men of military age to Ukraine, said that her country would not carry out deportations.
