Europe faces dilemma on Russians fleeing Putin's draft

President Putin's mobilisation of civilians to fight in Ukraine has sparked protests in Russia

More than 440 graves were discovered near Izyum after it was recaptured from Russian forces

The European Union is facing a tough balancing act over how to deal with Russians fleeing military mobilisation, as some countries look to block entry and others offer possible refuge.

President Vladimir Putin's order on Wednesday calling up hundreds of thousands to fight in Ukraine appeared to send droves of Russian men scrambling for the exit in a bid to avoid going to the front lines. 

So far, the numbers coming to the EU seem modest as the bloc had already curtailed travel from Russia by banning direct flights and toughening up visa rules in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.  

But despite the small scale, the issue is stirring debate in Brussels as EU members adopt starkly differing approaches to Russians looking to escape the fighting.  

"Many Russians who now flee Russia because of mobilisation were fine with killing Ukrainians. They did not protest then," Latvia's foreign minister, Edgars Rinkevics, wrote on Twitter.

Estonia's interior minister, Lauri Laanemets, told local media, "We should not offer protection to deserters."

Finland on Friday signalled that it was taking the same track by announcing it would "significantly restrict the entry of Russian citizens" after the uptick in arrivals that followed Putin's decree.

At the other end of the spectrum, Germany signalled on Thursday that it may be ready to take in Russians fleeing conscription. 

"Anyone who courageously opposes Putin's regime, and thereby falls into great danger, can file for asylum on grounds of political persecution," she said.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said on Friday that it was "monitoring" the situation, amid calls for the bloc to issue guidelines to its 27 member states over how to tackle any arrivals. 

The EU struck a landmark agreement in March to open its doors to millions of Ukrainians -- mainly woman, children and elderly people -- fleeing the Russian invasion. 

European diplomats warn that coming up with a common approach will be tough and the Commission appears reluctant to get involved unless the number of arrivals shoots up. 

European law guarantees a right to claim asylum for people arriving in the bloc. But that is not automatically granted, especially if there is a security risk. 

When we look at the situation at the moment in terms of security, we need to take these geopolitical concerns into account and the risks to our security as well."

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