President Ursula von der Leyen sent a letter to the leaders of the European Union countries urging them to reconsider the approach to accepting Ukrainian refugees and to introduce certain restrictions within the temporary protection system.
This was reported by Der Spiegel, dpa, and AFP, citing the content of a document that journalists had access to. The letter was sent ahead of the European Council meeting.
The document notes that the European Commission proposes to extend the temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens, but at the same time calls for limiting its application in such a way that it does not undermine Ukraine's defense capabilities.
Although specific measures are not detailed in the letter, European media note that it may involve a possible restriction on the intake of men of conscription age within the expanded temporary protection scheme.
According to Euractiv, the EU is discussing the option of excluding Ukrainian men of conscription age from new applications for temporary protection. It is assumed that such restrictions will only apply to new applicants.
The temporary protection system was introduced in March 2022 after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion and provided millions of Ukrainians with the right to reside and access basic services in EU countries without going through the standard asylum procedure.
A final decision on the status of Ukrainian refugees in the European Union is expected in 2026 - preliminarily in July or September. Currently, the directive has been extended until March 2027.
