Recently, the European Commission has suggested withdrawing temporary protection status for military-age Ukrainian men. Some of the EU countries supported the initiative, which Ukraine also agreed to.Nowadays, about 4.37 million Ukrainians live in the EU under this status (as of April 2026), 25% of them are military-age men. According to the European Commission, all men who already live in the territory of the EU will retain their temporary protection status, and the initiative will affect only newly arriving men. One of those who supports the proposal is German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, however, he adds that in this case, those Ukrainian men should have the right to apply for asylum. The initiative is also supported by his Austrian colleague Gerhard Karner.There are also those who are against it. Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro is quite skeptical. He suggests leaving things as they are, but to discuss this problem with Kyiv. Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe Michael O’Flaherty criticizes the initiative. He is also concerned about the lowering of support for Ukrainian refugees in European countries and asks for its continuation in his interview with RBK Ukraine. “Now is time for more solidarity, not less.”