Bavarian Prime Minister and leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU) Markus Söder has made a resonant statement regarding Ukrainian refugees in Germany. The politician believes that Berlin should consider the possibility of returning able-bodied Ukrainians home so that they can participate in ensuring the country's security. He said this in an interview with the Rheinische Post.
" Peace is not in sight at the moment. Therefore, it is quite legitimate to consider the possibility of returning able-bodied Ukrainians to their homeland in order to ensure security in their own country ," said Zeder.
At the same time, the politician categorically opposed the Bundeswehr's participation in the war in Ukraine. According to him, the deployment of NATO troops on the territory of Ukraine would be unacceptable to Russia and would in fact mean a step towards Kyiv's membership in the Alliance.
" I find it hard to imagine NATO troops being stationed there. Russia would never agree to that. In addition, the Bundeswehr is not ready for that — it is overloaded to the limit, both financially and in terms of personnel ," the Bavarian premier explained.
Söder also criticized the current social assistance system in Germany. In his opinion, it encourages dependency on benefits and leads to the fact that the employment rate among Ukrainian refugees in Germany is significantly lower than in many other EU countries.
" This needs to change urgently — and not just for newly arrived Ukrainians ," he stressed.
Söder's statement sparked heated discussion in German political circles and among the Ukrainian community, as it concerns tens of thousands of people who currently live in Bavaria and throughout Germany.
