Agence France Presse reported the information.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed Thursday he delivered a direct message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Germany is concerned about the increasing number of young Ukrainian men seeking refuge in the country.Following a phone call with the Ukrainian leader, Merz stated that these men are needed back in their home country."I asked the Ukrainian president to ensure that young men from Ukraine in particular do not come to Germany in ever-increasing numbers, but rather serve in their own country," Merz said. "They are needed there."The chancellor's remarks come as Germany, which has taken in around one million Ukrainian refugees since 2022, contends with a recent surge in arrivals. This influx follows a decision by Kyiv in August to loosen rules that had previously banned most men aged 18 to 60 from leaving.According to interior ministry data, the number of Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 seeking refuge in Germany surged from just over 100 per week to as high as 1,796 in a single week in early October.In a related domestic policy move, Merz also announced plans to overhaul German social welfare for Ukrainian refugees. Speaking at a Berlin business congress, the Chancellor said the goal is to lower payments to "offer greater incentives to find employment.""The benefits for these refugees will be structured in such a way that the incentives to work outweigh the incentive to remain in the welfare system," Merz stated.