The Government of Ukraine yesterday suspended the services usually provided to Ukrainian citizens of military age (18 to 60 years old) by the consulates of this country around the world, which includes the consulates of Barcelona and Malaga, as well as the consular section from its embassy in Madrid.
Kyiv’s decision comes amid a campaign to encourage the recruitment of new soldiers to participate in the defense of their country against Russia.
After 26 months of conflict, Ukraine needs military aid and more personnel. The first need seems to be on the way to a solution after the United States House of Representatives unlocked aid of more than $60 billion.
To address the second, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian unicameral Parliament) approved a new law two weeks ago to improve and accelerate the incorporation of civilians into the army. Days before, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed a rule that lowers the age of those mobilized to fight on the front from 27 to 25 years. The objective is to increase the number of combatants with men who fill the gap of casualties and, in addition, allow the rotation of those who have been on the front since the beginning of the fighting.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dimitro Kuleba said in a statement published yesterday in X that he had ordered measures to restore what he described as fair treatment for men of draft age.
“What does it look like now? A man of military age went abroad, shows his State that he does not care about his (the State’s) survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from that State. That does not work like that. “Our country is at war,” he stated.
Only one exception applies to the measure taken: Ukrainian consulates will provide services to those men of military age who return to Ukraine.
According to Eurostat estimates, approximately 4.3 million Ukrainians were registered last January in the countries of the European Union. Of them, 20% were adult men, that is, about 860,000.
Last year, the Ukrainian military high command estimated the need for new recruits at 500,000. Zelensky and the new military chief, Olexánder Sirsky, later assured that the need is much less. But they did not offer a specific figure.
The law approved in the Rada will come into force in May and establishes that men of military age have 60 days to appear, remotely or in person, at recruiting offices to update their documents. Men of military age abroad would need such documents to receive consular services.
“Being abroad does not exempt a citizen from his duties towards his homeland,” Kuleba added.
