Multiple web search results report that Chancellor Merz announced in Berlin that Germany will assist Ukraine in returning military-age Ukrainian men to their home country, following a meeting with Zelenskyy. This is reported by at least two distinct web sources.

Multiple web search results indicate that Ukrainian conscription efforts are facing a crisis due to desertion and shrinking willing recruits, leading to increasingly coercive methods. One source mentions reports of 'increasingly extreme methods' used by conscription officers.

Multiple web search results describe the practice of 'snatching' men from public places like streets, workplaces, and residential areas, often involving being dragged to recruitment centers, consistent with the claim.

Multiple web search results report that Ukrainian military recruitment officials have used harsh tactics, including raids on public places, leading to confrontations.

Multiple web search results confirm that at a joint press conference in Berlin on April 14, 2026, Merz stated that the German government supports Ukraine's efforts to limit men's exit and ease returns, aligning with the claim's normalized version.

Multiple web search results cite that following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Germany became a top destination for Ukrainian migrants, taking in over a million people, with one source specifically referencing the Federal Statistical Office.

Multiple web search results attribute the statement that only 8-10% of new personnel are willing recruits to Vadim Ivchenko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament's national security committee.

Multiple web search results confirm that Moscow has accused Kyiv's Western backers of waging a proxy war against Russia, citing comments made by Western politicians.