Why Ukraine Opened Its Borders to Men: The Rada Reveals the Real Reason

The government’s decision to allow men aged 18 to 22 to travel abroad has raised questions. Critics say Bankova is attempting to appease young people following protests against the dismantling of independent anti-corruption bodies, while also manipulating public opinion for electoral gain.

This was stated on the air of “Pryamyi” by Sofia Fedyna, a People’s Deputy from “European Solidarity”.

“There are several nuances here. Did it really take years of scandals to resolve this issue, only now? That is, it was necessary to mock young people, deny them the opportunity to study abroad, and then apply their experience in Ukraine? Was it necessary to go so far as to break up families, because the boys could not return home from school to see their parents? Otherwise, they would not have left, even though they are still far from being drafted,” Fedyna noted.

According to her, Bankova is attempting to appease young people following mass protests against efforts to undermine the independence of anti-corruption bodies.

“And now, when a wave of protests has swept through in response to attempts to curtail the independence of SAPO and NABU, suddenly Zelenskyy throws a bone from his lordly shoulder: let’s allow young people to leave. I don’t know whether this is meant to let them leave and not return—so there were no protests at Bankova or nearby—or if it’s to appease them and say, ‘See how good we are, and you thought we were bad,’” the lawmaker emphasized.

“But in reality, this looks like another form of insinuation, manipulation, and a distraction from what really matters. This should have been done a long time ago. Ultimately, it shouldn’t have been banned in the first place. Yet we still have a lot of other questions,” Fedyna added.

In addition, she pointed out that the ban on members of parliament traveling abroad is still in place.

“And why do we still have the same ban on members of parliament traveling abroad, which violates the law on the status of MPs? Once again, everything is done manually, and it does not address the fundamental problem. It simply stirs up the media space and provides an opportunity for speculation in the context of potential electoral support,” said Sofia Fedyna, a member of parliament from European Solidarity.

As a reminder, Ukraine has officially published a government resolution that allows men aged 18 to 22 years old to leave during martial law. At the same time, the document establishes some restrictions and exceptions, in particular for officials and reserved employees.

However, to travel abroad, men aged 18 to 22 will need to have a military registration document. The changes will not apply to persons holding positions in state authorities, state bodies, and local self-government bodies. Travel abroad for this category of persons can only be carried out on a business trip.

Subsequently, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine clarified the conditions for crossing the border for men aged 18 to 22. In addition to a foreign passport, citizens of this category will need to have military registration documents with them — in paper form or in digital format through the “Reserve+” application.