Kiev's top diplomat ordered the move as the war-torn country moves to tighten its military conscription.
Ukraine plans to suspend consular services for men of military age abroad.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday that he had ordered a reduction in the services of all such men, except for those who returned to Ukraine. The move comes as Kiev pushes to ramp up conscription to stem Russia's momentum on the battlefield.
In a statement on X, Kleba said he had ordered measures to restore what he called “fair treatment” for men of recruitment age.
“What's going on now? Men of draft age go overseas and show they don't care about the survival of this country, and then they want to come to this country and get service,” he said. Ta. “This is not going to work. Our country is at war.”
He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would soon clarify the procedures for men of military age to receive consular services.
Protecting the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens abroad has always been and continues to be a priority for MFA. At the same time, in the context of Russia's full-scale aggression, protecting the Motherland from destruction has become a top priority.
Current situation:…
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 23, 2024
Eurostat estimates that as of January, about 4.3 million Ukrainians were registered in European Union countries, of whom 860,000, or about 20 percent, were adult males.
Kleba's move appears to be linked to a hotly debated new law aimed at speeding up military mobilization.
The law, which goes into effect next month, will require all military-age men to report to a draft office remotely or in-person within 60 days to update their documents. These documents are required to receive consular services.
“Staying abroad does not exempt citizens from their obligations to their homeland,” Kuleba said.
In a separate statement, the State Passport Office said it was suspending the issuance of “ready-made documents” at its overseas branches “due to technical reasons.”