Europe’s generosity to Ukrainian refugees is not so welcome—in Ukraine

Ittakes two EUEU buses, a sturdy bottom and 43 hours to travel from downtown Brussels to Uman, a city right in the centre of Ukraine. Can’t afford the €90 ($97) fare? No matter: the Belgian authorities will pay the fare for any Ukrainians up for the trip, and throw in €50 pocket money to make the journey more palatable. Better yet, anyone who later changes their mind about having returned to their oblast even has the right to come back to Belgium, should they fancy another two-day bus ride. But the most compelling argument for those who had once fled war to voluntarily return is the call from home to fulfil their patriotic duty. Ukraine needs soldiers and workers, consumers and taxpayers. Its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, thinks too many of them may be lingering overseas. “Ukrainians are stronger together, so it is time to be together!” he said recently.Around a fifth of Ukraine’s 37m citizens left the country in the wake of Russia’s invasion two years ago this weekend. Over half of those, or 4m, have been granted refugee-like protection in countries. Extending hospitality has been a point of pride from Spain to Estonia. But the arrangement was always meant to be temporary, an emergency measure as bombs rained on Kyiv. As the war has dragged on and life away from the front lines has largely returned to normal—bar the odd air-raid siren—questions have arisen as to why anyone still needs to stay away. Mr Zelensky has spoken of “citizens” at home in contrast to “refugees” who left, and praises the 1m or more who have returned. In a war of endurance, the domestic economy will sustain the effort all the better if citizens currently abroad come home. Such talk is discomfiting to countries that proudly laid out the welcome mat to Ukrainians in 2022. Is their abiding generosity to those once fleeing war in fact undermining the future of the country they are trying to help?