The European Union is considering whether to exclude Ukrainian men of conscription age from the temporary protection scheme, the Euractiv business daily has quoted an internal document of the EU Council as saying.
According to the report, the proposal emerged when discussing the future of the EU Temporary Protection Directive. Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU first applied the Temporary Protection Directive, which allowed millions of Ukrainians to live, work and receive social services in EU countries. That regime has now been extended until March 2027.
According to an internal document cited by Euractiv, among the options under discussion is the continuation of temporary protection with a narrowing of its scope, in particular by “excluding men of conscription age” or those who have not left Ukraine legally. Any such restriction would apply to new applicants.
Radio Liberty has asked the relevant ministries of the EU states whether they support the exclusion of men of conscription age from the categories of Ukrainians eligible for temporary protection. The answers will be published as soon as they become available.
According to the statistical service Eurostat, as of January 2026 there are 4 million 380 thousand Ukrainians under temporary protection in the EU, most of all in Germany – 1 260 230 people.
Eurostat reported that in 2025 the EU countries adopted 683,395 new decisions on granting temporary protection to Ukrainian citizens – this is 14% less compared to 2024.
EU countries in March this year began negotiations on the future status of Ukrainians after the end of the temporary protection directive, which has now been extended until March 2027.
The European Commission’s recommendations for ending temporary protection include the transition of Ukrainians to other available national and legal statuses. These could be residence permits based on employment, education, research, etc.