Germany's Call: Keep Young Ukrainians Home

Germany's leader, Friedrich Merz, had a long chat with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He made it clear that young Ukrainian men should stay in their home country. Why? Because they are needed there. Lately, many young Ukrainians have been moving to Germany. In fact, last month, over 79, 000 Ukrainian refugees arrived in Europe. That's the highest number since last August. The reason? Ukraine changed its rules in August 2025, allowing men aged 18 to 22 to leave the country freely. Germany is hosting the most Ukrainian refugees in Europe. Over 1. 2 million Ukrainians, which is about 28. 3% of the total EU refugees, are living in Germany. That's a lot of people! Merz also mentioned that Germany plans to change the benefits for Ukrainian refugees. The goal is to make working more attractive than staying on welfare. Starting April 1, 2025, new arrivals will get benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act instead of the Citizen's Allowance. This means less money, but they can still work and get job offers. During their conversation, Merz and Zelenskiy also talked about the energy scandal in Ukraine. It's been a big issue, and Germany is keeping an eye on it.