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EU bars new fighting-age Ukrainian men from refugee scheme

9/9/2026

Summary

Story summary

The European Union (EU) barred new fighting-age Ukrainian men from its refugee scheme in July 2026.
Germany granted about 1 million Ukrainian refugees temporary residence permits, including roughly 450,000 men, per 2025 data.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in November 2025 to curb the outflow of young Ukrainian men.
Zelenskyy said at an April 2026 press conference with Merz that returning fighting-age men is a matter of fairness.

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Story summary

The European Union (EU) barred new fighting-age Ukrainian men from its refugee scheme in July 2026.
Germany granted about 1 million Ukrainian refugees temporary residence permits, including roughly 450,000 men, per 2025 data.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in November 2025 to curb the outflow of young Ukrainian men.
Zelenskyy said at an April 2026 press conference with Merz that returning fighting-age men is a matter of fairness.