The United States government warned that dual citizens of Ukraine and the U.S. who are within the age of conscription may face the possibility of being stuck in the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instituted martial law in February 2022 in response to an ongoing Russian invasion.
Under martial law instituted in Ukraine, men with dual Ukraine-U.S. citizenship who are between the ages of 18 and 60, “may no longer be able to depart the country,” the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv explained in a statement on Tuesday.
“Ukrainian law does not recognize dual citizenship,” the U.S. embassy added. “U.S.-Ukrainian dual citizens are therefore treated solely as Ukrainian citizens while in Ukraine and are subject to the rights and obligations of Ukrainian citizens.”
Since martial law was instituted in Ukraine, it has been extended several times. Most recently, in May, the Ukrainian Parliament was reported to have extended martial law until August 2024.
President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talk on February 20, 2023, during an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Ukraine. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)
A mobilization law in Ukraine went into effect in May, making it easier for the government to identify each person eligible for conscription. Under the mobilization law, as of June 1, a previous “residence abroad exception” allowing men of dual citizenship to leave the country was removed.
The mobilization law was passed in April after the conscription age for men to serve was lowered from 27 to 25.
“Under Ukraine’s martial law, men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not permitted to leave the country,” the statement from the U.S. embassy added. “Previously, dual U.S.-Ukrainian citizens in this group could enter and then depart Ukraine if they had deregistered their Ukrainian residency and registered their U.S. residency. According to our information, this exception was revoked as of June 1.”
The U.S. embassy in Kyiv added that it is “limited” in what it can do to “influence Ukrainian law.”
U.S.-Ukrainian dual citizens currently in Ukraine are advised to “shelter in place and obey all local orders.”
“If you are not currently in Ukraine, we strongly recommend against all travel to Ukraine by U.S. citizen males aged 18 to 60 who also have Ukrainian citizenship or a claim to Ukrainian citizenship and who do not wish to stay in Ukraine indefinitely.”
A spokesperson from the Ukrainian State Board Guard Service explained to Politico that the border guards “treated Ukrainians with dual citizenship as Ukrainians” who must still “protect the country from the Russian invasion.”
Zelensky has also signed other laws in order to increase the size of his military. One such law allowed prisoners to enlist in the Ukrainian military, and another law fined people who attempted to avoid the military draft.
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