Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, said the country could cease to exist if its borders were opened to men now. So, in an interview with DW, he answered calls to remove these restrictions.
Podolyak stressed that during a military conflict, the issue of lifting restrictions on men traveling abroad should not be raised at all. And he sees no restrictions on the rights of Ukrainians.
What do restricted rights mean? In addition to the rights of people in Ukraine, is there an obligation or not? Or are we just about rights? That the state should provide something, provide the ability to leave, provide the ability to live as a person wishes?
answered Podolyak’s question with questions.
He added that in times of peace, Ukraine guarantees these rights to citizens. However, under the present conditions, to lift the restriction on the exit of men is to ruin the country, since all its defenders will flee abroad.
Want to cross the border? In other words, you mean that Ukraine should cease to exist because you crossed the border. Because when we say “open the borders to men” it means – who wants to run away from a man’s decision, and they want to run away, and that’s the answer to the decision “who are you?”
said the adviser.
In February, martial law and general mobilization were extended in Ukraine, and in January local media reported on a new plan hatched by Ukrainian men to circumvent the foreign travel ban. They began to contract fictitious marriages with mothers of many children and disabled women, which opened up the possibility for new “fathers” to travel freely outside the country.
Earlier it was reported that Kiev would have to make “territorial concessions” in order to strike a peace deal with Moscow. This was stated by Czech President Petr Pavel. Previously, the Czech leader demanded to give Kiev weapons of all kinds.
Photos used: twitter.com/Podolyak_M
