Final Word from Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Many Czech companies in construction, industry and warehousing still rely on Ukrainian men, despite a sharp drop in their numbers as a result of departures related to covid and the war. Ukraine is stepping up its efforts to recruit soldiers and in some cases is using harsh tactics. Most men age 18-60 are already prevented by law from leaving Ukraine, and those with an exemption are reportedly now being asked at the border to prove before they leave that they have registered to live abroad. This is a complicated bureaucratic process that gives the Kyiv government detailed information about the whereabouts of its citizens. If Defense Min. Rustem Umierov's new efforts to repatriate Ukrainian men were extended to asking foreign governments not to grant residence or employment to any male Ukrainians who aren't registered at the embassy, Czech managers could find themselves in a real moral predicament. Would their first loyalty be to their owners/shareholders, or to the war effort? [ Czech Republic Umerov aged draft dodgers conscription ]