Germany could share data on draft-age Ukrainian men with Kyiv, foreign minister suggests

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has backed a proposal to help Kyiv identify Ukrainian men of military age currently living in Germany, he said in an interview with Bild published Tuesday.

Wadephul said the German government could assist Ukraine in locating citizens eligible for military service. “We know who lives here: who receives social benefits, who is registered here, who holds a residence permit,” he said. Sharing this data, he argued, would allow the Ukrainian government to send draft summonses directly to eligible men residing in Germany.

The minister insisted any return would have to be voluntary, without direct coercion from Berlin. He noted that “the overwhelming majority of the German population supports our policy on Ukraine.”

Wadephul’s comments echo a similar call from Markus Söder, leader of the Christian Social Union party, made in an interview with the Rheinische Post. Söder argued that as the war continues, it is “entirely legitimate” to discuss sending Ukrainian men fit for military service back home. He said this would both bolster Ukraine’s defence and ease the strain on Germany’s social welfare system, noting that the employment rate among Ukrainian refugees in Germany lags well behind that of other EU countries.

The debate comes after EU countries agreed in July to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians across the bloc until 4 March 2028, with new applicants required to provide proof that they comply with their military obligations in Ukraine.