The latest extension of the right to live and work in the EU was approved at ambassadorial level on Wednesday and is now valid until at least March 4, 2028.
What is new is that the protection is only given to people "fulfilling their military obligations" - which in practice excludes all men aged 23-60, whom Ukraine does not allow to leave the country.
"As part of our support, we also want to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself. Therefore, our temporary protection now respects Ukraine's legitimate needs," writes Thomas Byrne, EU minister in the current presidency of the Council of Ministers, Ireland, in a press release.
However, the change does not apply to Ukrainian men who are already in the EU.
