Sebastian Fiedler, the SPD parliamentary spokesperson, criticized plans to cease granting temporary protection status to newly arriving Ukrainian men who are of military age. Speaking to the “Welt,” he emphasized that the current situation pertains to the immediate consequences of war, stating that “even in this subject, it would be completely different if Putin ended his violation of international law through his war of aggression.”
Although Fiedler acknowledged that many people felt mixed emotions regarding how to manage young Ukrainian men in fighting age, he maintained that the SPD parliamentary group remains committed to supporting Ukraine as much as possible in defending itself against the war launched by “the war criminal Putin.”
Fiedler stressed that it is not Germany’s responsibility to decide which young people Ukraine sends into the war and which it does not. He insisted that the EU regulation is clear and makes no distinction between men of military age and women and children.
However, a spokesperson for Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) affirmed support for the consideration of restricting this status at the EU level. The CSU representative stated, “If a majority is found for this within the EU, Germany supports that future temporary protection would not be granted to newly arriving Ukrainian men of military age, or to individuals who cannot legally leave Ukraine.”
