EU explains what will happen to temporary protection for military-age men

Asked whether Ukrainian men of conscription age might be denied temporary protection, European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammer has said that the decision to grant temporary protection to Ukrainians in the European Union until March 2027 applies equally to all Ukrainians, with no exceptions for military-age men.

The European Commission has clarified that men of conscription age will be able to enjoy the rights of temporary protection in the European Union for as long as the protection remains in effect.

"Temporary protection is something that we have decided at EU level, at member state level until 2027, so until next year, March, the current rules are in force. And this is what I can say at the moment," Lamert said.

Lammer confirmed that temporary protection legislation in the EU, when applied, does not make any distinction between women, children and men, regardless of their age.

According to Eurostat, 4.35 million Ukrainians had temporary protection in the European Union as of the end of 2025.

Germany, Poland and Czechia have the largest numbers of Ukrainian refugees, and Czechia, Poland and Slovakia have the most relative to their own populations.

Almost half a million Ukrainians who were granted temporary protection in Germany have already left.