Merz says young Ukrainian men should stay and serve in Ukraine

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday that young Ukrainian men should serve their country rather than seek refuge in Germany.

"In our telephone call today, I asked the Ukrainian president (Volodymyr Zelenskyy) to ensure that especially young men from Ukraine do not come to Germany in large numbers but rather serve in their own country," Merz said. "That is where they are needed."

The conservative leader made the remarks during a business summit in Berlin and announced plans to cut social benefits for Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Germany.

"In Germany, welfare payments for these refugees will be structured in such a way that the incentives to work will be greater than the incentive to remain in the welfare system. So we are also planning concrete changes in this area," he said.

According to a draft law from the Labor Ministry, Ukrainian refugees arriving after April 1, 2025 will receive benefits under the asylum seeker law, rather than Bürgergeld, Germany's standard unemployment benefit. This change will result in significantly lower payment amounts and is designed to increase work incentives.