Poland backs ending EU benefits for Ukrainian men of fighting age

Poland would support ending welfare payments to Ukrainian men of fighting age in Europe to push them to return home and fight Russia's invasion, the Polish foreign minister has said.

Kyiv is trying to replenish the ranks of its army as the war stretches into its third year, including by enticing emigrants to return to Ukraine.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski proposed on Friday (13 September) to "stop paying social security payments for people who are eligible for the Ukrainian draft".

Some men fled Ukraine to avoid being drafted, despite an official ban on leaving the country that applies to most men of fighting age.

"There should be no financial incentives for avoiding the draft in Ukraine," Sikorski continued.

Poland does not provide security payments to refugees, said Sikorski, who advocated for other European countries to implement his proposition.

Sikorski said the idea would "help Western European finances, that would politically help mainstream parties against right-wing radicals."

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said he would "support" the idea, but that it needed the "appropriate conditions".

He added there were about a million men of mobilisation age abroad, including 300,000 in Poland.

The statements were made on Friday but the conference was embargoed until Saturday for security reasons.