In an interview with the BBC, the representative of the President of Ukraine in the Verkhovna Rada, Fedir Venislavsky, said that he was reconsidering his decision to punish those who illegally left Ukraine during the hostilities.
"I was sincerely convinced that it was possible. Then, when the discussion began, I realized that in this way we can not only stimulate return, but we can cut off the desire to return to Ukraine at all," Venyslavsky admitted.
"We should not do this now. After the war, we need to ensure, let's say, a demographic policy, the preservation of at least our Ukrainian nation. Therefore, the punishment may have the opposite effect," the MP said.
As for the young people who have entered full-time universities, there are disputes over this issue, as it is a "sensitive" one.
"Of course, there is a significant number of men in their forties and fifties who have suddenly expressed a desire to get a higher education - second, third or fourth degree, and full-time. For me, as a lawyer, this is an obvious way to avoid being called up for mobilization. Today, we cannot talk about any model of canceling the deferment that has general support. There are discussions going on. I think there is no doubt that this issue needs to be resolved. We'll see when it will happen and how it will happen," Venyslavsky said.
