EU plans to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians until March 2027 – Ambassador Chentsov
The European Union is planning to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians until March 2027 during the upcoming Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, which will take place in Luxembourg on June 12–13.
This was announced by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov, according to Censor.NET with reference to European Pravda.
"We expect the EU Council to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians, and we assume that the extension will last until March 2027," Chentsov stated.
He noted that the European Commission’s decision was influenced by the security situation in Ukraine, which, unfortunately, remains dire.
"It’s important to keep in mind that about half of all Ukrainians under temporary protection in the EU are women, and nearly one-third are children — in other words, vulnerable groups. The EU, the European Commission, and the member states are approaching this issue with responsibility," the ambassador explained.
Chentsov added that, in parallel, the EU is discussing long-term solutions for when the current directive on temporary protection expires in two years.
As a reminder, temporary protection for Ukrainians in the EU is currently in effect until March 2026. As of March 31, 2025, more than 4.26 million Ukrainian refugees were under temporary protection in EU countries.
The diplomat said that next week, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for National Unity, Oleksii Chernyshov, will visit Brussels for talks with the EU Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, and other European officials to discuss "finding a joint approach to this issue."
"We will raise the question of how the European Commission and EU member states intend to support the return of our citizens — those who are willing to come back — if the security situation allows it," Chentsov said.
Following consultations with the Ukrainian side, the European Commission is expected to outline its vision of how the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive may be phased out after March 2027.
