EU Weighs Ending Protection for Military-Age Ukrainian Men

The European Commission has suggested withdrawing temporary protection status for military-age Ukrainian men, Deutsche Welle reported. A number of European Union (EU) member states support the move, and so does the government in Kyiv, which has an interest in encouraging men of fighting age to return home.

The proposal points to a manpower problem that both Ukraine and its European backers are now trying to manage. Returning men of military age to Ukraine would ease political pressure in host countries while expanding the pool available for mobilization at home.

The strain is also visible in how Ukraine recruits soldiers. The Russian state agency TASS reported, citing the Ukrainian outlet Strana, that a Ukrainian servicewoman said commanders prefer to recruit former prisoners because they have few rights and cannot easily leave their units. That account comes from a Russian state source and Ukraine has not confirmed it, but it is consistent with a broader pattern of mounting difficulty sustaining the force.