EU clarifies new protection conditions for Ukrainians: rule also applies to women

The new rules for granting temporary protection to Ukrainians in the European Union apply not only to men, but also to women.

If a specific female citizen of Ukraine is subject to military duties under Ukrainian law, when she applies anew for temporary protection in the EU, she may also be required to prove their fulfillment.

This was stated by European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert, responding on August 20 to a question from a correspondent of "European Pravda" in Brussels.

"The Council Decision makes no distinction between men and women in its application. It concerns military service or past military service", explained Lammert.

Thus, gender by itself is not a ground for exclusion from the new check. At the same time, the EU decision does not introduce new military duties for Ukrainian women. It requires new applicants to fulfill those military obligations that apply to them under Ukrainian law.

Rule applies to new applicants

The new conditions entered into force on August 5, 2026. According to the Council Decision, temporary protection is to be granted only to persons who fulfill their military obligations in Ukraine and, where necessary, can prove it.

The changes do not apply to Ukrainians who already had temporary protection in the relevant EU country as of August 4, 2026 and have continuously maintained that status.

The Council of the EU previously explained that one possible proof of compliance with military obligations could be, for example, a passport with a mark from the Ukrainian authorities confirming lawful departure from Ukraine. The specific list of documents and the verification procedure will depend on the practice of individual states.

European Commission prepares detailed instructions

The European Commission plans to transmit updated operational guidelines to EU countries in the coming weeks, which should explain the application of the new rules in more detail.

According to Lammert, member states have already received a working document with answers to the most common questions.

"We are working on more detailed guidelines to continue helping member states in the interpretation of the rules", said the EU representative.

At the same time, the final decision in each individual case will be made by the national authorities of the EU country where the person applies. They will check documents and determine whether the applicant meets the new conditions.

Protection for Ukrainians extended until 2028

The European Union extended the temporary protection regime for people who left Ukraine because of the war until March 4, 2028. At the same time, the EU introduced a new condition for those who apply for this status for the first time.

The Council of the EU explained the changes by the need to simultaneously ensure protection for people fleeing the war and take into account Ukraine's defense needs.

Temporary protection in the EU is currently used by more than four million Ukrainians. Most of them are in Germany - more than 1.28 million, Poland - more than 960 thousand, and the Czech Republic - more than 390 thousand.

Based on: European Pravda, Council of the EU, EUR-Lex