Estonian Interior Minister says it could help with mobilisation of Ukrainians in Estonia

Estonian Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets has said that Estonia is ready to help Ukraine mobilise its citizens if necessary.

Source: Estonian newspaper Postimees; European Pravda

Details: The minister said that there are about 7,500 Ukrainian citizens of conscription age living in Estonia. He noted that many of them are not liable for military service. 

"According to Ukrainian legislation, single parents, parents of at least three children, parents of children with disabilities and people who are caring for a loved one are also not liable for mobilisation. In other words, there are quite a few criteria according to which a person is not subject to conscription," explained Läänemets.

Läänemets said that under international law, Ukraine cannot call up Ukrainians living in Estonia for military service, as this requires an agreement between the two countries.

He intends to officially inform the Ukrainian authorities that if they want to conscript Ukrainian citizens in Estonia, then the country is ready to conclude such an agreement with Ukraine.

"Estonia will not stand aside. We are happy to sign such an agreement and help Ukraine. We know where these people live in Estonia. We are ready to assist in bringing these people from Estonia to Ukraine, if they need it," the Interior Minister added.

Ukraine has not approached the Estonian government about possible assistance in implementing plans to conscript reservists into the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to Janek Mäggi, Head of the Border and Migration Policy Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

"We discussed this issue with the Ukrainian ambassador, and Ukraine did not ask us [the Interior Ministry] to do so. Ukraine has no legal grounds to ask us to extradite these citizens, and we have no grounds to extradite them," said Janek Mäggi.

Background:

• On 21 December, several German media outlets published an interview with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov, in which he mentioned plans to conscript Ukrainians living abroad.
• Subsequently, the Ministry of Defence clarified that Minister Rustem Umierov had called on all Ukrainians to join the Armed Forces, but that there is no question of a mechanism for punishing or putting legal pressure on men outside Ukraine. 

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