The decision announced by European Commissioner Magnus Brunner that Ukrainians subject to military service should be excluded from the planned extension of the temporary protection status for Ukrainian citizens was adopted in Austria with approval, BTA reports.
In his first comment on the subject to APA, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner welcomed the decision.
„From an Austrian perspective, there should no longer be an automatic protection status for men from Ukraine subject to military service. This will help not only Austria, but also Ukraine. "I am therefore pleased that the European Commission has followed the Austrian initiative in its current proposal," said Karner.
"Temporary, unbureaucratic protection for people from Ukraine was one of the historically significant decisions at the beginning of the war. Europe has thus shown that it does not take half-measures when it comes to freedom and peace. Of course, this measure must be continued, because Vladimir Putin's war continues. But if someone in Ukraine wants to avoid their civic obligations to defend the country, then the EU should not support this," said Lukas Mandl, security spokesman for the Austrian People's Party in the European Parliament, explicitly welcoming the initiative, writes “Presse“.
Almost 4.4 million people expelled from Ukraine currently benefit from temporary protection in the EU. Their number has remained stable since 2024 and is increasing slightly. There are currently about 94,100 Ukrainian citizens registered in Austria.