The new limitations will not apply to those already under temporary protection.
Daria Zakharova
The EU introduced the temporary protection mechanism for Ukrainian refugees in March 2022, allowing individuals who fled the country the right to live, work and study in EU countries. The protection was initially introduced for a one-year term and has been extended multiple times since.
But in recent years, both Ukrainian and EU officials have expressed growing concerns regarding Kyiv’s need for fighting men. “I really want Ukrainians, especially men, to return home,” said Zelenskyy after an April meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “It is a matter of justice. We have people, soldiers at the front, they need rotations,” he added.
Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner, who initiated the issue at EU level, said last month that “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.”
Ukraine introduced martial law the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, prohibiting men aged 25 to 60 who are eligible for military service from leaving the country — barring certain exemptions. It is estimated that approximately 1.17 million adult Ukrainian men are currently benefiting from temporary protection across the EU. In 2023, Ukrainian media had reported around 650,000 Ukrainian men of fighting age had left for the EU.
