Conflicts & War

Zelenskyy urges Ukrainian men abroad to return to fight or pay taxes

Riga, Jan 11 (EFE).- Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday called on Ukrainian men of military age living abroad to contribute to the defense of the country against Russia, either as soldiers or as tax-paying workers.

At a joint press conference in Tallinn with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Zelenskyy was asked whether he had raised repatriating military-age males from among the tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees in the Baltic countries.

The president did not explicitly say that Estonia or other European countries should help return men who have avoided Ukraine’s general mobilization following Russia’s invasion, but he did point out that those who don’t work and pay taxes in Ukraine to fund its armed forces are not contributing to the country’s defense.

Zelenskyy clarified that not all men of military age necessarily have to return to fight on the front lines, highlighting that for every soldier there are several working citizens contributing to the public coffers.

According to local media, some 36,000 Ukrainians have emigrated to Estonia since the Russian invasion.

After the press conference with Kallas, Zelenskyy addressed the Estonian parliament or Riigikogu, where he thanked the Baltic country for its support for Ukraine’s struggle “for freedom” and against the Kremlin’s attempt to “rebuild the empire” of Russia.

The president also called for defending European “unity” over “national egoisms” to protect European interests and “European values”.

On Thursday afternoon he is expected to travel to neighboring Latvia to conclude his tour of the three Baltic countries.

He will meet with President Edgars Rinkēvičš, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa and the speaker of the parliament or Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa.

Zelenskyy visited the Lithuanian capital on Wednesday to meet with the country’s top authorities, who announced new aid to Ukraine and reaffirmed their commitment to the cause of the country invaded by Russia. EFE

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