“Itʼs impossible.” The EU will not return men of mobilization age to Ukraine

European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson said that the countries of the European Union will not forcibly return conscripted men to Ukraine.

Johansson said this in an interview with Radio Svoboda.

According to her, it is impossible to apply a differentiated approach to Ukrainian refugees — based on gender, age, or conscript status, this contradicts the Directive on temporary protection. She emphasized that no one "will be forcibly expelled" from the territory of the European Union.

"We will support those who want to return to Ukraine, and we will discuss with the Ukrainian authorities and the Ukrainian government how to do it in the best way. We will not throw anyone out of the EU," the European Commissioner stressed.

• According to the Eurostat database, as of January 2024, approximately 4.3 million Ukrainians live in the countries of the European Union, of which about 860 000 are adult men.
• The fact that Ukraine will not forcibly return men of conscription age from abroad was previously stated by the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Olha Stefanishyna.