Thousands who fled to avoid conscription remain under the bloc’s protection program, which is due to expire in 2027
Ukraine has asked the EU to exclude military-aged Ukrainian men from temporary protection measures, the bloc’s Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner has said, according to Deutsche Welle. Kiev has been seeking to replenish troop numbers amid mounting manpower shortages.
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians have fled abroad to avoid conscription since the conflict with Russia escalated in 2022. As of spring 2026, 4.33 million Ukrainians were living under temporary protection in the EU, including up to one million men of fighting age, according to Eurostat data.
The issue was raised as EU member states discussed extending temporary protection for Ukrainians beyond its current March 2027 expiry date. Most member states reportedly support prolonging the scheme until 2028.
Brunner said one option under consideration was excluding Ukrainian military-aged men from the protection scheme. “This is also what the Ukrainians are asking us to do,” he stated.
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