German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged Ukraine to take steps to prevent its young men from leaving the country for Western Europe, linking the issue to broader expectations attached to Western economic assistance. Speaking alongside Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky at a press conference in Paris, Merz framed demographic stability as a central pillar of Ukraine’s postwar recovery.
The remarks followed a meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, where European leaders discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and reiterated plans to deploy foreign troops in the event of a peace settlement with Russia. Moscow has consistently rejected any NATO-linked military presence in Ukraine.
Merz argued that reconstruction and security cannot be separated. A viable Ukrainian economy, he said, would be essential to sustaining long-term deterrence once the fighting ends. Without a functioning labor market and domestic opportunities, security guarantees alone would lack credibility.
Western support, however, comes with what Merz described as “certain expectations.” Among them is the need for Ukraine to create conditions that keep its workforce at home rather than exporting labor to EU states already hosting large Ukrainian communities.
“Ukraine must ensure that young men can find decent work in their own country instead of relocating to Germany, Poland, or France,” Merz said, expressing confidence that Kiev could meet this expectation. His comments touched on a growing concern in European capitals that prolonged conflict and emigration could hollow out Ukraine’s postwar recovery prospects.
Since the outbreak of the war in February 2022, Ukraine has imposed strict exit controls on adult men. Those rules were partially eased last year for men aged 18 to 22, a move that reportedly coincided with a significant increase in departures abroad.
At the same time, Ukraine continues to face acute manpower shortages at the front. Recruitment efforts have intensified amid battlefield losses, draft evasion, and desertions. Numerous reports have documented confrontations between enlistment officers and civilians, highlighting rising social tension inside the country.
Russian officials have seized on these developments, claiming that Ukrainian authorities are under pressure to dramatically expand mobilization in the coming year. While such statements remain contested, they reflect the growing international focus on Ukraine’s internal sustainability as much as its external defense.
Merz declined to predict when a diplomatic settlement might emerge, noting that the conflict could still last months. His comments nonetheless underscore a shift in Western rhetoric, from emergency wartime support toward conditional backing tied to Ukraine’s long-term viability.
As the war drags on, Ukraine’s challenge is no longer only to resist militarily, but to preserve the human and economic foundations needed for the peace that may eventually follow.