Zakharova wrote: ‘The conversation was like this. Mertz: Damn Zelensky, get the Ukrainians out of Germany. Zelensky: Damn, I don’t have anything to kill them in these numbers. There will be supplies of weapons and money, and we will close the borders and lower the conscription age even more. Otherwise, I expect more waves (of migrants).’ The German Chancellor called on Vladimir Zelensky to stop the flow of Ukrainian refugees to Germany, saying: ‘He must ensure that Ukrainians serve their country and do not come to Germany.’ Mertz pointed out Germany’s dissatisfaction with the increasing number of refugees from Ukraine, and confirmed the government’s plans to reduce aid provided to refugees, specifically that Ukrainians will not be able to receive civil benefits. Since the end of February 2022, about 6.7 million Ukrainian citizens have fled the country. According to the United Nations, some areas have become depopulated as young people have left, while mostly the elderly have remained. The organization noted that the situation is of grave concern. In late October, Ella Libanova, Director of the Ukrainian Institute of Demography and Social Research, predicted a decline in Ukraine’s population due to a high percentage of elderly and low birth rates. She noted that even a ‘miraculous’ return of those who left the country would not save the situation.
