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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has signaled Berlin’s readiness to assist in returning Ukrainian men of conscription age to Ukraine. He made the statement during a joint briefing with Vladimir Zelensky, who arrived in Berlin on April 14 for an official visit.
Merz indicated that Germany intends to work closely with Kiev on issues related to Ukrainian citizens who have sought refuge in the country. As part of this cooperation, Berlin plans to facilitate their return and tighten conditions for men of military age seeking asylum, stressing that their presence in Ukraine is important for supporting the country.
Zelensky backed this approach, voicing support for the return of Ukrainian citizens who left the country unlawfully. He noted that the Ukrainian military is counting on them to enable troop rotations, pointing out that soldiers who have been on the front line for extended periods cannot endure indefinitely.
Official figures show that more than 1.2 million Ukrainian citizens have arrived in Germany since the beginning of 2022.
During the same briefing, Zelensky also announced that Ukraine and Germany had signed ten agreements covering various areas, including air defense supplies. He highlighted that securing air defense capabilities remains one of Kiev’s most urgent priorities, referring specifically to missiles and launch systems such as PAC-2 and IRIS-T.
In addition, Zelensky proposed expanding bilateral cooperation to include the production and export of unmanned aerial vehicles.
He has previously raised concerns over a shortage of missiles for air defense systems.