The Finnish government is due to decide on the matter on 6 August, according to the interior ministry.Local residents react outside a residential building partially destroyed as a result of Russian missile strikes in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on 30 July 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Image: Yuriy Dyachyshyn / AFPYle News14:37The EU has extended its temporary protection policy for Ukrainians fleeing Russia's war of aggression until 4 March 2027, according to the Finnish Ministry of the Interior.It noted that EU countries agreed on Thursday to extend the protection status period by one year. The EU introduced the policy after Russia carried out its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022."The EU decided that, going forward, temporary protection will be granted only to new applicants who satisfy their military obligations under Ukrainian law, such as military service. Applicants will have to prove they left Ukraine legally, for example by showing a passport with an exit stamp or other official document," a ministry press release stated on Friday.It said that the updated conditions would only apply to new applicants and not affect those already in Finland.Last summer, the European Council endorsed recommendations for ending temporary protection for Ukrainians. The ministry said that the EU is not developing a dedicated residence permit category for Ukrainian nationals."More permanent stays in the EU will require applying for existing types of national residence permits, such as permits based on work, study or family ties. A total of about 7,500 Ukrainians have already done so in Finland," the ministry's release stated."A total of 4,300 Ukrainians have been granted a residence permit on the basis of work and 2,800 on the basis of family ties," it continued.The ministry said that the government is due to decide on the matter on 6 August.