"F*ck Russia"

"F*ck Russia"

Namely, after Russia attacked Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky declared a state of emergency and submitted a report to the UN in which he stated that there would be deviations from the human rights treaty due to national defense.

Among those necessities was the abolition of the right to freedom of movement. Ukrainians have introduced a ban on leaving the country for men between the ages of 18 and 60.

As Jutarnji list reports, that ban is still in force, and millions of men are subject to its provisions. Even Ukrainians living in other countries, such as students studying in the rest of Europe, are trapped behind the battle lines.

However, now Ukrainian activists have risen up against that decision, claiming that this provision violates their human rights, that it is in conflict with international treaties that guarantee gender equality and freedom of movement for civilians, and as "Foreign Policy" reports, human rights experts agree with the demands of the activists.

New research results, "Foreign Policy" continues, show that there is another reason why lifting this ban would be beneficial for the authorities in Kyiv and the national war effort. It is about a survey conducted by an American institute, which included more than 3.100 Ukrainians, with the aim of examining their views on the travel ban.

Respondents were asked whether they believed civilian men should be allowed to flee, stay in the country or something else - and then explain their answer.

The results showed that the majority of respondents do not support the travel ban in its current form. Less than half (44.7 percent) supported the existing law, while the remaining 55.3 percent were divided between open opposition (28.3 percent) and something "different" (27 percent).

Open opposition to the travel ban was most concentrated among women, younger men, those without a college degree, and Russian speakers. But even those Ukrainians who say men should stay in the country disagree with how the current law is structured.

Of the 44.7 percent of those who support the existing law, many explain their views with some version of the answer "The law is the law and it should be respected."

However, a good part of the respondents also wrote "F*ck Russia!". The most common reason given in favor of the travel ban was the civic sense of duty "that dictates the defense of the country". "It is our duty to the country where we were born, whether we like it or not," wrote one respondent.

But some respondents who supported the travel ban also pointed out that recruiting civilians to war might not be the best way to fulfill that civic duty. For example, one wrote: "Ukraine needs healthy, brave and strong soldiers, not children who have just turned 18."