Hungary has stated that it does not intend to apply the new EU rules regarding Ukrainian men of draft age in the same way as other countries in the bloc. Prime Minister P\u00e9ter Magyar says that Budapest will reserve the right to grant protection to Ukrainians who do not fall under the new EU rules, particularly those from Transcarpathia.<\/p>\n
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Hungary will continue to consider providing protection to Ukrainian men of draft age, even if they do not meet the European Union\u2019s new requirements. This was stated by Hungarian Prime Minister P\u00e9ter Magyar. According to him, Budapest wants to retain the right to decide independently whom to grant protection to.<\/p>\n
M\u00e1ty\u00e1s stated that Hungary disagrees with the EU\u2019s approach, under which men of draft age from Ukraine who have not fulfilled their military obligations under Ukrainian law may not receive temporary protection. \u201cHungary will act differently and provide assistance to those who need it,\u201d the Hungarian prime minister said.<\/p>\n
Budapest is paying particular attention to Ukrainians of Hungarian descent living in the Zakarpattia region. M\u00e1d\u00e1r stated that approximately 100,000 ethnic Hungarians reside in this region. According to him, Transcarpathia\u2019s proximity to Hungary and the presence of a Hungarian minority there are among the reasons why Budapest wants to take its own approach to such cases.<\/p>\n
What the European Union Has Changed<\/p>\n
In July, EU countries agreed to extend temporary protection for people who fled Ukraine due to the full-scale war. This status will now remain in effect until March 4, 2028. At the same time, the European Union added a new condition for some new applicants.<\/p>\n
Starting August 5, 2026, temporary protection for new arrivals may be granted only to those Ukrainians who are fulfilling their military duties in Ukraine. If necessary, the individual must provide appropriate proof. In other words, the new rule primarily applies to Ukrainians who apply for temporary protection after it takes effect.<\/p>\n
However, it is important not to confuse this provision with a complete ban on the entry of men of draft age into the EU. The EU Council\u2019s decision specifically addresses the conditions for obtaining temporary protection, not an automatic closure of borders for all Ukrainian men.<\/p>\n
Who Is Exempt from the New Rules<\/p>\n
There is an important exception for Ukrainians who were already under temporary protection. The new requirement does not apply to people who were granted temporary protection in a specific EU country on or before August 4, 2026, and have continuously maintained that status in the same country since that date.<\/p>\n
In other words, if a Ukrainian already had this status and has not lost it, the new requirement regarding military service should not automatically deprive him of his protection. A different situation may arise for those applying for temporary protection for the first time after August 5. The new rules already apply to such applicants. It is precisely this issue that prompted the Hungarian government\u2019s statements.<\/p>\n
Why Hungary Is Taking a Different Stance<\/p>\n
P\u00e9ter Magyar stated that he does not want the new EU rules to automatically close the door on protection for Ukrainians arriving in Hungary. This applies in particular to Ukrainians of Hungarian descent from Transcarpathia. Budapest has long taken a special interest in the situation of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
M\u00e1ty\u00e1s had previously spoken about the need to protect the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia. His government actively discussed this issue with Kyiv as part of negotiations on the rights of national minorities. Now, the issue of protecting Ukrainian men of draft age has become yet another point on which Budapest\u2019s position differs from the EU\u2019s general approach.<\/p>\n
M\u00e1gyar also stated that he raised this issue during talks with European Council President Ant\u00f3nio Costa. He insists that Hungary must be able to help people fleeing the war.<\/p>\n
What This Means for Ukrainians<\/p>\n
For Ukrainian men of draft age, the situation will now depend not only on general EU rules but also on the practices of specific countries. The bloc\u2019s general rule after August 5 is that new temporary protection is granted to people who are performing their military duties in Ukraine, if such a requirement applies to them. At the same time, Hungary states that it is prepared to allow for the possibility of granting protection even to those who do not meet this criterion.<\/p>\n
This does not mean that every Ukrainian man will automatically receive Hungarian status. It refers to the Hungarian government\u2019s position and its intention to review such cases on a case-by-case basis. For those who already have temporary protection in EU countries, the situation is different: the new requirement does not apply to people who had this status before August 4 and have maintained it continuously.<\/p>\n
Thus, the European Union has extended protection for Ukrainians until March 2028, but at the same time has tightened the conditions for some new applicants. Hungary, however, has stated that it does not wish to fully align with this approach and is prepared to consider separately the possibility of granting protection to Ukrainian men of draft age. This was reported by<\/a> the Judicial and Legal Gazette.<\/p>\n Hungarian Prime Minister P\u00e9ter Magyar, after taking<\/a> office in May, launched a large-scale program of political change in the country, according to The Guardian World<\/a>. In an editorial, the publication calls these steps the most sweeping transformation of Hungary since the fall of communism in 1989.<\/p>\n \n Read us on Telegram<\/a> and Sends<\/a>\n <\/p>\n Download our app<\/p>\n
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