[88318] The European Union is considering restrictions on receiving Ukrainian men of military age

The European Union is examining a change in policy toward Ukrainian refugees

According to reports in the German newspaper Spiegel, cited by the channels КЛОЧОК and Новини.LIVE, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is proposing to impose restrictions on the entry of Ukrainian men into European Union countries. The initiative, presented ahead of the summit in Brussels, is intended to ensure that European aid "does not undermine Ukraine's legal ability to defend itself."

As reported by UA Stream, this concerns a significant change in the way the "Temporary Protection Directive" is applied, which currently covers all war refugees from Ukraine. While the EU declares it will continue to grant protection to Ukrainians "for as long as it takes," the new move is aimed specifically at men of military age (23 to 60).

The proposal comes against the backdrop of a formal appeal by Kyiv to the European Union at the beginning of June, in which it requested a review of the exclusion of men of military age from the scope of temporary protection in Europe. According to UA Stream, the European Commission has not yet provided full details on how the planned restrictions will be implemented, but the trend is to "tighten the lenient admission conditions" for Ukrainian citizens.

The reporting channels, identified with a pro-Ukrainian line, present the move as a pragmatic step intended to assist the Ukrainian war effort, while maintaining the European Union's commitment to refugees in general. However, a final decision on the matter has not yet been reached and the details remain under review at the political levels of the Union.