Hungary opposes scaling down EU protections for Ukrainian men
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Hungary will not support the European Commission's proposed entry restrictions for military-age Ukrainian men, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on June 30.
Magyar added that even if the decision is adopted at the EU level, it will not prevent Budapest from accepting ethnic Hungarians fleeing Ukraine because of the war or mobilization.
There are about 70,000-80,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast, with hundreds serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Budapest has already voiced its position at the European level, with six or seven countries also opposing the motion, Magyar said in the Hungarian parliament.
The European Commission on June 26 proposed extending protections for 4.4 million Ukrainians living in the bloc while barring entry for men eligible for the draft.
The proposal, which must be approved by a qualified majority of member states, came as several European countries are tightening eligibility rules for Ukrainian refugees. If passed, the restrictions would enter into force in March 2027.
Ukrainian and EU officials described the changes as a step toward closer alignment between EU regulations and Ukraine's national legislation.
Ukraine has restricted travel abroad for male citizens eligible for conscription during martial law, which was declared after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Magyar, who defeated Hungary's pro-Kremlin leader Viktor Orban in the April parliamentary elections, has long cast himself as a protector of Hungarian ethnic communities abroad.
At the same time, he pursued a more constructive dialogue with Kyiv, negotiating an agreement on Hungarian minority rights in Ukraine and lifting a veto on Kyiv's EU accession.
