EU pushes to extend right to stay for Ukrainians to 2026

BRUSSELS

Brussels on Tuesday proposed that EU states extend the right of Ukrainian refugees to stay in the bloc for another year to March 2026, as Russia's war ravages their homeland.

Currently almost 4.2 million Ukrainians are registered as refugees across the EU, with Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic hosting the biggest numbers.

A majority of EU member states would need to approve an extension and ministers were to hold a first discussion on Thursday.

"Given continued Russian attacks on the civil and critical infrastructure across Ukraine, safe and durable conditions for the return of people to Ukraine are not currently in place," the European Commission said.

"The commission therefore considers that the reasons for temporary protection persist, and that it should be prolonged for another year."

The 27-nation European Union first granted Ukrainians the right to stay in the weeks after Moscow launched its all-out invasion in February 2022.

The commission said it wanted to keep the doors open for people still needing to escape the conflict, and provide more "stability" for those already in the EU.

The push for the latest extension comes as Ukraine's forces struggle to hold the front line and Russian air strikes have devastated the country's energy grid.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Moscow has destroyed half of the country's electricity generation capacity since winter.

As Ukraine struggles to replenish its depleted forces, EU member states Poland and Lithuania have said they could help return men of military age to the country.

Kiev is scrambling to recruit troops after more than two years of war and has recently passed a mobilisation law, lowering the fighting age and toughening penalties against draft dodgers.