Ursula von der Leyen
According to her, Brussels will propose extending the temporary protection mechanism in such a way as “not to weaken Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.”Der Spiegel reports this, citing a letter from von der Leyen to EU leaders ahead of the EU summit.
Although specific details of the future initiative have not yet been made public, the wording in the document suggests that it primarily concerns men of draft age. Previously, a number of EU member states, notably Germany, had advocated making it more difficult to grant protection to Ukrainian men between the ages of 23 and 60.
Currently, Ukrainians fleeing the war are granted protection under the EU directive on the large-scale influx of displaced persons. Under this framework, their applications are not reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and the right to residence is granted automatically. The current mechanism remains in effect until March 4, 2027.
Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Migration, previously stated that the European Commission will soon present a proposal to further extend this regime. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 4.3 million Ukrainian citizens have been granted temporary protection status in EU countries.
A decision to extend temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees could be made in July or as early as September 2026.
