It would seem that the story about "men evading mobilization" is a purely male topic. But a statement by European Commission spokesperson Marcus Lammert turns this notion on its head: new rules for temporary protection in the EU do not distinguish between genders. This is about military service as such – and women involved in defense fall under the same logic as men.
A stamp – not a formality, but insurance
Practical advice from the Ukrainian embassy in Germany sounds mundane: when leaving the country, get a stamp confirming border crossing. But behind this recommendation lies a very specific risk – without documentary proof of the legality of departure, a person may find themselves in a gray area, having to prove the legitimacy of their status retrospectively, while already abroad.
This is especially important against the backdrop of the new EU rule: those who evade military duty in their homeland will not receive temporary protection. The question "how do I prove that I left legally" ceases to be rhetorical.
"The EU Council decision does not distinguish between men and women in the application of these provisions. This concerns military service or prior military service," said Marcus Lammert.
Who is actually responsible for the decision
Here an important clarification is needed, one that is easy to miss: the European Commission formulates the rules, but their practical implementation is the competence of each individual member state. This means that the same rule can be implemented differently in Germany, Poland, or the Czech Republic. In the Czech Republic, for example, dozens of Ukrainian men have already been denied temporary protection – and this shows how alive and unpredictable implementation on the ground can be, despite the common framework from Brussels.
What this means for those already abroad
Temporary protection has been extended until March 4, 2028, so the issue does not lose relevance in the coming years. In the coming weeks, the European Commission promises to publish more detailed guidelines – these will show how strictly the new military duty criteria will be applied to women and whether additional exceptions will appear.
For now, the main practical conclusion is simple: the presence of a border crossing stamp is not a bureaucratic detail, but potential evidence in a situation where you need to prove the legality of your stay in the EU. The question that remains open is whether member states will manage to synchronize their approaches before detailed guidelines appear, or whether each country will continue to interpret the rules in its own way.
