DW: Ukraine Itself Asked The EU Not To Give Protection To Men 23-60 Years Old
- 5.06.2026, 10:20
There is no final decision yet.
Kiev has initiated the exclusion of men of conscription age from temporary protection in the EU.
This is reported by Deutsche Welle.
The position of the European Commissioner
All EU member states support the extension of the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) for Ukrainians until March 2028. However, "many countries" are in favor of changes to the conditions for granting this protection.
This was announced on June 4 by Nicolas Ioannides, Deputy Minister for Migration of Cyprus - the Presidency - after a meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council.
"I think this will allow to reach an agreement for the benefit of the Ukrainian people, and at the same time it is a decision that will not allow pressure on member states that accept Ukrainians," he said.
Male exclusion: who asked for it
Among the changes under discussion is the exclusion of men of mobilization age from 23 to 60 from the DTZ. This was announced by European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.
"This is also what Ukrainians are asking us to do," he said.
Brunner said that during the discussion, special attention was paid to the positions of the countries that received the most Ukrainians: the Czech Republic, the Baltic States, Poland, Germany and Austria.
But, recall, previously discussed the exclusion of men of mobilization age not all who are in Europe, but only those who will apply for temporary protection.
What will happen next
The European Commission "in the coming weeks" will present a proposal regarding the further fate of temporary protection for Ukrainians, Brunner promised. After that, it must be approved by the EU member states by a qualified majority.
There is no final decision yet - the meeting in Luxembourg became a platform for exchanging positions, not making decisions.
In the meantime, there is no unity in the EU: the idea of restrictions for men of conscription age was supported by Germany, Sweden and Poland, while Estonia and Luxembourg are in favor of continuing the directive without changes. The EU is divided over restrictions for Ukrainian men.