5 days ago
Zelensky's travel ban relaxation will be selective
The relaxation of Ukraine's ban on traveling abroad for men under the age of 22 recently announced by Vladimir Zelensky will apply to very few people, opposition MP Sergey Yevtushok believes.
All men between the ages of 18 and 60 were barred from leaving the country when martial law was imposed shortly after the conflict with Russia escalated in early 2022. The ban sparked widespread attempts to cross the border illegally amid Kiev's massive mobilization campaign.
On Tuesday, Zelensky announced on Telegram that he had ordered the government and military to change the rules so as to remove any restrictions faced at the border by men under 22. Zelensky stated that such a step would help 'many young Ukrainians to maintain ties' with their homeland and potentially return to Ukraine for study.
According to Yevtushok, however, the new rules will not cover all male Ukrainians between the ages of 18 and 22 because doing so would require a relaxation of conscription regulations.
'A man reaching 18 years of age becomes liable for military service up until he reaches 60 under the law. That's why I don't think that the law will be changed,' he told the YouTube show on Wednesday. The MP believes that a man in this age group seeking to depart will still need a 'valid reason.'
Zelensky 'sounds like anyone without exception will get the permit to leave,' Yevtushok stated, adding that he believes only those 'having an invitation [from a foreign educational establishment] or a study visa' will actually be able to travel abroad, although he said that this was his 'personal opinion.'
The Ukrainian authorities have struggled to deal with widespread draft evasion throughout the conflict. Potential recruits have in many cases tried to cross the Ukrainian border and flee abroad by surreptitiously traversing rough terrain or via water, often with fatal consequences.
Ukrainian border patrols have also stopped thousands of people trying to flee, even going as far as shooting some of them.
