Poland will help Ukraine bring its military-aged men back following new changes to passport and consular service laws for Ukrainian men living abroad, Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

“I think many Poles are outraged when they see young Ukrainian men in hotels and cafes, and they hear how much effort we have to make to help Ukraine. However, the form of assistance [Poland provides] depends on the Ukrainian side”, - Kosiniak-Kamysz told Polsat News.

He also emphasized that Warsaw had previously offered to help Ukraine identify refugees living in Poland who are under military obligation. Poland hosts around 1 million Ukrainians who fled from Russia’s all-out war, the highest number of all countries.

With some exceptions, Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving Ukraine during the war while martial law is in effect. However, the BBC estimated in November 2023 that some 650,000 military-age Ukrainian men had left the country for the EU since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Ukraine passed its hotly debated bill on mobilization this month following months of deliberation and rewrites. The bill was a key component of political and military leadership’s efforts to ramp up mobilization in 2024 amidst an increasingly critical manpower shortage.