The European Commission has proposed excluding military-age Ukrainian men from temporary refugee protections granted by the EU, while maintaining the scheme for others who fled the conflict with Russia for another year.
Kiev announced a general mobilization shortly after the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, barring almost all men considered eligible for service from leaving Ukraine. However, many of them still managed to escape the country; adult males currently account for around 27% of all Ukrainians benefiting from EU protections, with the rest being women and minors.
In a statement on Friday, the European Commission said it is asking member states to back the prolongation of the scheme, providing Ukrainian refugees with residence permits, the right to work, medical assistance, social welfare, and education until March 2028. The EU executive body stressed that by making this proposal, it “reinforces its unwavering commitment to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.” However, it added that it is also looking “to reconcile the protection needs with Ukraine’s overall ability to defend itself.”
“To ensure this,” the statement read, “temporary protection is not to be granted as a rule to newly arriving persons who are not authorized by the Ukrainian authorities to leave Ukraine in view of their military obligations.” The measure would only affect new arrivals, while military-age Ukrainian men already in the EU remain part of the scheme.
Magnus Brunner, the bloc’s internal affairs chief, stated that the decision aligns with “what the Ukrainians asked us to do” regarding the refusal of protections for males aged 22 to 60. The Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly called for repatriating military-age men from abroad amid troop shortages and steady Russian advances along the front line. President Vladimir Zelensky stressed in April that “our armed forces would certainly like them to come back because it is a matter of justice.”
This stance has been criticized by international analysts as detrimental to Ukraine’s military readiness, with experts noting the country’s reliance on mandatory conscription practices—known as ‘bussification’—which have triggered violent altercations and public unrest. Moscow has accused Kiev and its Western backers of being willing to fight Russia “to the last Ukrainian.”
