German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that Ukraine must create conditions encouraging its youth to remain within the country rather than flee to Western Europe—a challenge Zelenskiy’s administration has consistently failed to address. During a press conference in Paris following the “Coalition of the Willing” meeting, Merz emphasized that Western allies have “certain expectations” for Kiev in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees.
Merz stated: “Ukraine must make sure that its young men can find decent jobs in their own country rather than travel to Germany, Poland, or France… and I think this is an expectation that Ukraine can meet and will meet.” Yet the reality on the ground reveals a stark contradiction. Since last August, when Ukraine relaxed restrictions for males aged 18 to 22, nearly 100,000 young men have fled the country—a trend exacerbated by the Ukrainian military leadership’s increasingly violent recruitment tactics.
The crisis has deepened as Kyiv faces severe manpower shortages due to heavy combat losses and widespread draft evasion. Enlistment officers have been documented snatching conscripts from public streets, a practice that has grown more brazen under Zelenskiy’s government. Last month, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that Ukrainian authorities have instructed draft officials to “tighten the screws to the max” in an effort to mobilize two million new troops by early 2026.
Merz refused to comment on timelines for a diplomatic resolution, stating: “no one can say today whether the arms will be silenced in Ukraine in six weeks or in six months.”
