Ukraine has a shortage of men of fighting age
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Almost 3 years of war is taking its toll on Ukraine’s resources. This is especially true for men of fighting age. Many Ukrainian men between the ages of 25 and 60 do not report for registration. Several thousand Ukrainian men have also managed to leave Ukraine despite being of fighting age. The problem for Ukraine is huge. To date, approximately 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives in the war. The Russians’ losses are probably 3 times higher, but that helps Ukraine very little.
Why do we accept Ukrainian men of fighting age?
I am from Norway, support Ukraine’s struggle 100% and on top of this I am a conscientious objector from my youth. Most conscientious objectors like me are willing to make an effort in a conflict. I also believe that this is or should have been the case with the Ukrainian men.
Several times I have participated in marches in support of Ukraine. Every time I see more Ukrainian men here. Men who could have made a contribution to the war. It’s perfectly OK for men who are not fit to fight to leave Ukraine. But the majority of the men I see who are Ukrainians, and support the solidarity marches are hardly declared non-combatants. The majority probably left Ukraine before the war or during the war. To me, that’s cowardly. Condemning Russia’s assault on the country, while leaving the fight to others, is cowardly.
Western countries’ responsibility
I’m Norwegian and in Norway we have welcomed many Ukrainians. More than 80,000 have come here since the war started. That’s great, everyone has the right to live in a safe environment. This is especially true for children, the elderly and women with children. In Norway and a number of other countries in Western Europe, collective protection of Ukrainians was introduced. That is, it was open to come after the start of the war in February 2022.
The vast majority of those who left Ukraine were people fleeing a brutal war. They were refugees in the true sense of the word. We also opened the borders to Ukrainian men. Even though Ukraine soon introduced border controls, some managed to get out.
The way I see it, Ukrainian men of fighting age are not a problem if they have papers showing that they do not have to serve in the military. Many are exempt for health reasons. But there should be a check when entering Europe.
Sources:
Ukrainian Army Opens New Recruitment Hub in Chernivtsi (thedefensepost.com)
‘Avoid them’: How men are fleeing Ukrainian army conscription | Euronews