The EU is discussing changes to the rules on temporary protection for Ukrainians
The European Union has begun discussing possible changes to the rules on temporary protection for some Ukrainian men currently in EU countries, with the aim of harmonizing the approach toward conscripts who have left Ukraine. So far, this is merely a discussion without any final decisions, but the issue is already sparking debate within European institutions, according to Deutsche Welle.
Ilva Johansson, the EU Special Representative for Ukrainians, stated this in an interview with Deutsche Welle, emphasizing that member states have only just begun discussing possible changes and that there is no common position yet.
According to her, the current situation appears controversial for some EU countries, as men of draft age who are not permitted to leave Ukraine automatically receive temporary protection upon crossing the border—sometimes even in a not entirely legal manner. “In my personal opinion, it doesn’t seem entirely logical that many men subject to military service who are not allowed to leave Ukraine, as soon as they cross the border—perhaps even illegally—immediately receive temporary protection,” Johansson said.
She added that the EU views this as a potentially contradictory signal to Ukraine, since at the same time the European Union continues to support Kyiv in the war against Russia, including in the military sphere. “Therefore, in my opinion, it makes sense to introduce certain exceptions, but this issue has not yet been agreed upon. So, we’ll see. However, if any restrictions are introduced, I think they will be very minor,” she clarified.
Currently, the EU emphasizes that any changes are possible only after joint agreement among member states, and there is no question of an immediate or large-scale revision of the existing temporary protection regime.
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