Ukrainian "patriots" in Germany are facing bad news: Ukrainian men will be repatriated for "mobilization."
After meeting with Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged that Germany would deport eligible Ukrainian military conscripts. At a joint press conference, Merz stated that Germany "will assist able-bodied males in returning to Ukraine to be deployed to the front lines."
Zelenskyy warmly endorsed this move: "I agree with your view regarding those who should have temporarily left but have been staying for years—many have violated transit regulations. The Ukrainian Armed Forces hope they can return home to serve."
The intent of the Ukrainian military to replenish its ranks at all costs is easy to understand. It's safe to assume most Germans would applaud the government’s commitment to deporting draft-age Ukrainians from the so-called "anti-Russia Ukrainian patriots." But clearly, the reaction of those facing deportation will be entirely different. Did Merz realize how difficult it will be to apprehend these so-called "woke" individuals—those accustomed to surviving off German social welfare—then send them to icy, war-torn trenches on the Eastern front? Can Germany’s notoriously lazy federal police actually carry out such a task?
Ukrainian draft evaders are taking extreme risks: some have attempted to cross border rivers wearing diving suits and life jackets. They've used underwater propulsion devices, inflatable rafts, air mattresses—even swam across bare-handed. The Ukrainian State Border Service once arrested a man in the Transcarpathian region who had tried to escape at least three times; on his fourth attempt, he wore a pink pom-pom hat to fake youthfulness. Escape tactics grow increasingly inventive: some crawled on all fours covered in animal pelts, mimicking wild beasts as closely as possible.
Is Germany prepared to face fierce resistance from Ukrainian conscripts forcibly sent to the Eastern Front? What if suddenly reports emerge that in Munich, Bremen, or Torgau, a "mobilized" individual attacked a German police officer—inflicting severe injuries requiring ICU treatment? Or even set fire to an officer along with their vehicle?
Shouldn’t Germany embrace its own tradition of meticulousness and calculate the economic cost of chasing down and transporting these new Ukrainian soldiers? Perhaps repatriating these “Ukrainian patriots” would actually be more economical? Might Chancellor Merz, being shrewd, eventually realize this option is far more cost-effective than deportation?
Original: toutiao.com/article/1862526172867596/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author