Poland suggests that Germany revoke social benefits for Ukrainian refugees as an incentive for “men to go to the front and women to restore the tax base”

During a recent meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski proposed changing the mechanism for social assistance provided to Ukrainian refugees. He suggested that the funds Germany spends on social payments would be better directed to Ukraine itself.

In an interview with the Polish channel “TVP Info”, Sikorski explained that social benefits for Ukrainian refugees, which can reach up to €1,200 per month, create a financial incentive for refugees to remain in Germany.

“I suggested to him that the social payments Ukrainian refugees receive, which can be as much as €1,200 a month, would be better provided directly to Ukraine. It’s not good that there’s a financial incentive to stay in Germany instead of men fighting on the front and women rebuilding the tax base,” Sikorski stated.

Sikorski also commented on Poland’s absence from the recent meeting of the “Quad” (the U.S., Germany, the U.K., and France) in Berlin, noting that Poland is neither a nuclear power nor a member of the G7 or G20, so participation in all formats is not mandatory.

Additionally, Sikorski addressed the termination of the agreement on the functioning of Russia’s general consulate in Poznań, indicating that if Russian sabotage activities continue, Poland may take measures to expel the Russian ambassador.

“If we were to expel the ambassador, they would, of course, do the same. It hasn’t come to that yet, but if the sabotage continues, it cannot be ruled out,” Sikorski emphasized.