Poland U-turns to ‘extend the protection of Ukrainians’ including military aged men

Poland has made a U-turn and will now continue to provide Ukrainian refugees with protection, including men of fighting age who have no passports.

Polish news outlet Ukrayina.pl has reported, “We will extend the protection of Ukrainian refugees, which is valid only until June 30.

“Those who do not have passports will be under temporary protection.”

The Polish Interior Minister added that Poland will not share with the authorities in Kyiv the personal data of those fighting aged men with anyone.

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Last week the Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has announced that authorities across Poland will help to send those men back to Ukraine.

Kyiv announced that all Ukrainian embassies and consulates will now no longer offer consular services for those of fighting age, but only “with the exception of applications for registration of identity cards for return to Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on X these new measures will “restore fair attitudes toward men of conscription age in Ukraine and abroad.”

“How it looks now: a man of conscription age went abroad, showed his state that he does not care about its survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from this state. It does not work this way. Our country is at war.”

Kosiniak-Kamysz said, “I think many Poles are outraged when they see young Ukrainian men in hotels and cafes, and they hear how much effort we have to make to help Ukraine.”

Adding, “However, the form of assistance [Poland provides] depends on the Ukrainian side.”

The Polish government has offered authorities in Kyiv that they “will identify” Ukrainian men of fighting age who are living in Poland, there is around 1 million Ukrainians living in across the country.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas also said that they could follow Poland’s approach to Ukrainian men of fighting age and will keep a close eye on developments.

According to Eurostat there is around 4.3 million Ukrainians living across European countries, including some 860,000 men, whilst Poland has around 650,000 men of fighting age.