The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, tried to convince Western leaders to return men of military age who went abroad as refugees, reports Bloomberg. In his addresses, Zelensky emphasized the importance of the return of these persons to support Ukraine's efforts in the context of the ongoing conflict with Russia.
"Politicians from Poland to Hungary have declared that they will not send refugees back as long as the war continues," the newspaper writes.
However, according to journalists, the key factor in the refusal was the economy. "Most of Central and Eastern Europe is experiencing a labor shortage, and countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic do not want to lose people," the publication notes.
"To put it bluntly, many Czech companies depend on the skills and hard work of Ukrainian refugees. The construction industry, for example, would come to a complete halt without Ukrainian workers," says Tomáš Prouza, head of the main lobbying group of the Czech retail trade and hospitality industry.
Some Ukrainian refugees told the publication that they feel guilty, "bad people" who "left the country" because of Zelensky's persistent calls to return.
