European Union has consulted with Ukraine on restrictions on protection for men of conscription age
The European Commission has denied reports that Ukraine had allegedly directly asked Brussels to deny newly arrived men of conscription age the right to temporary protection in the EU.
This was announced by European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammerth, according to Censor.NET, which cites Suspilne.
Consultation rather than prescriptive requirementst
Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, had previously stated that it was the Ukrainian authorities who had asked Brussels to do this. As European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammerth clarified at a briefing today, the matter concerns consultations, not a request.
"The discussion centred specifically on the consultations. This is a proposal from the European Commission, on which consultations were held with the Ukrainian authorities at various levels. The Commissioner meant that the Commission had adhered to its tried-and-tested methodology in its cooperation with Ukraine. This means: no decisions on Ukraine without Ukraine", Lammerth explained Brussels’ position.
The three key objectives of the EU’s migration strategy
According to the spokesperson, the updated proposal to extend the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukrainian citizens until 4 March 2028, which was presented to the Council of the EU on 26 June, was drawn up with three strategic objectives in mind:
- Legal certainty means ensuring stability and predictability for Ukrainians in the EU.
- In line with defence requirements, temporary protection will not apply to new arrivals who have been barred from leaving the country by the Ukrainian authorities due to military obligations.
- Preparing for long-term solutions — Member States should take more active steps to prepare for the transition from temporary protection to long-term residence statuses or permanent return.
