Zelensky urged the West not to spend money on Ukrainian refugees but to send them home

The West finds it “politically advantageous” not to spend money on Ukrainians who are not working abroad but to send them back home.

This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who urged the West not to spend money on Ukrainian refugees.

At the same time, Zelensky denied that he allegedly asked Western leaders to return men of conscription age to Ukraine. He said that they themselves raise these issues in private conversations, but it is politically disadvantageous for them to publicly say, “we are sending Ukrainians home; it’s very costly for us to support them.”

“It’s easier to bring up this issue at a meeting with the President of Ukraine and then say that the president requested to have Ukrainians returned. I fully support this, but without coercion,” Zelensky stated.

He added that Ukraine needs to bring back 7.5 million refugees from abroad to “feed” 10.5 million pensioners. However, this should be done “without coercion, so that they want to return.”

In the fall, a decision is expected to be made that should encourage Ukrainians to return.