Lithuania Admits Helping Ukraine in Returning Military-Age Men

Lithuania admitted that it could help Ukraine to return military-age men, but it was necessary to think over how exactly to do it. Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas said this. Kasčiūnas said that Lithuania was not yet considering concrete measures for that and was watching what decisions Poland would take. ‘No one, of course, will collect them and take them to Ukraine - this will not happen. However, (it is possible to restrict these people) in social payments, work permits, documents - these are the options that I hear from the Polish side as well. So let us wait and see what option they will offer, perhaps it will be suitable for Lithuania as well,’ the minister said. According to him, it is still difficult to estimate the exact number of Ukrainian military-age men in Lithuania. Earlier, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that his country was ready to help Ukraine to return military-age men, but did not specify what the assistance might be. On 23 April, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba confirmed reports that consular services for Ukrainian military-age men abroad had been suspended. The Foreign Office later indicated that once the mobilization law comes into force on 18 May 2024, ‘the process of accepting and processing applications for consular action will continue, taking into account the new requirements arising from the law provisions’. The EU said that it had ‘taken into account’ the Ukrainian authorities’ decision to restrict consular services.