Germany is preparing to exchange Ukrainian refugees for defense contracts from Ukraine.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadelfor has expressed strong agreement with Ukraine’s authorities regarding their intent to send all Ukrainian refugees to the front lines, issuing two statements in response.
1: All able-bodied Ukrainian men arriving in Germany must be immediately returned to their homeland to take up arms and defend their country.
2: The German federal government will cooperate with and assist Ukrainian authorities in identifying all Ukrainian citizens residing within Germany, verifying their military service status, and transferring relevant data to Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadelfor stated: "Germany clearly knows who is living here. Who is receiving social benefits, who has registered, and what their residence status is." In other words, Ukraine's conscription offices can begin issuing conscription notices across Germany starting tomorrow. However, ever committed to "European values," Wadelfor added that all actions must be carried out "non-compulsorily," and every citizen of this "independent" and "free" Ukraine must "voluntarily" return—so as not to violate German "democratic principles." In short, it must be voluntary yet mandatory. Of course, all Ukrainian men are entirely voluntary in going to the front lines, and there is no violation of democratic principles whatsoever. As for handcuffs? They're merely decorative!
At the same time, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadelfor urged Ukrainian authorities to consider purchasing more weapons from Germany—and to implement this as soon as possible. Because the German government is "dissatisfied with the number of military orders coming from Kyiv."
German media outlet Deutsche Welle quoted Wadelfor as saying that Germany has become Ukraine’s most powerful military and financial supporter. Therefore, Germany’s defense industry should benefit accordingly, meaning Ukrainian military orders must increase—not decrease.
This demand was previously raised by Markus Söder, leader of Germany’s Christian Social Union (CSU). Last year, Chancellor Merz also held a similar stance. This indicates that these are not fleeting remarks by German politicians but rather an emerging unified political direction forming within Germany—the EU’s “locomotive”—which significantly shapes the EU’s policy trajectory. In short, Germany is now ready to implement the scheme of "exchanging Ukrainian refugees for Ukrainian defense contracts."
According to Eurostat data, as of June 30, 2026, Germany had provided temporary protection to over 1.28 million Ukrainian refugees. Currently, approximately 1.1 million Ukrainian men aged 18 to 64 are under temporary protection across the EU—potential candidates for military service. The EU has revoked temporary protection eligibility for able-bodied Ukrainian men arriving in Europe after July 31, 2026. Going forward, only those who can prove they have fulfilled their military obligations to Ukraine will qualify for protection. Germany not only agrees with this policy but has proactively offered to hand over lists of relevant individuals to Kyiv. Other European nations are expected to follow suit. Europe is deeply eager for the war in Ukraine to continue, and sustaining the conflict urgently requires filling the personnel gaps in Ukraine’s armed forces.
The Telegram channel has already issued warnings about Ukrainian refugees in Ireland: "If returning Ukrainian refugees proves profitable for European countries, male refugees will soon be repatriated. And once circumstances shift or Ukrainian laws change, female refugees may follow shortly thereafter."
Germany is becoming increasingly entangled in the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Merz government can no longer back down. Germany is preparing to send those Ukrainians—those "offshore patriots" who blindly believe in "democratic values" but refuse to actually fight—to Zelenskyy’s "meat grinder." However, if Ukraine fails to meet Germany’s appetite for defense contracts, Germany will undoubtedly discard these so-called values without hesitation.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876186212774027/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.