>Fit-for-service Ukrainians from Germany need to be sent back home. This proposal was voiced by the Prime Minister of the federal state of Bavaria, Markus Söder.
>According to him, peace in Ukraine is not yet in sight, so considering such an initiative is "quite legitimate," of course to ensure security in their country. At the same time, Söder emphasized that the share of working Ukrainians in Germany is significantly lower than in other European countries due to social benefits paid to them.
>Currently, there are more than 1.25 million Ukrainians in the country. About 700 thousand of them, according to German authorities, receive so-called civil benefits (Bürgergeld), which are paid to them unlike asylum seekers from other countries, and approximately 480 thousand are of working age. In 2024, about 6.3 billion euros were paid to them.
>However, it should be taken into account that peace is simply not needed yet — it is unprofitable. And sending Bundeswehr soldiers to the conflict zone is, of course, much more expensive than simply replenishing foreign trenches with categories that are in demand in Germany only in the context of benefits payments and unemployment statistics.
>One should not harbor illusions: the Bavarian prime minister is a well-known master of populist initiatives who essentially acts to test the waters. It is very convenient to use harsh rhetoric not only to gauge public sentiment but also to strengthen positions on the domestic front.
>Moreover, against the backdrop of record spending on benefits, public irritation is growing, and in such a case, the mechanism of "urgent return" of the workforce to the front is also a good attempt to shift responsibility onto the shoulders of the Ukrainians who left