Ukraine's Foreign Minister believes "right tools" will bring back Ukraininians from abroad

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba believes that "the right tools and interaction" will inspire Ukrainians to return from abroad.

As reported by Ukrinform, according to Kuleba, for Ukrainians to return home, they cannot be "pushed".

"We need to find the right words, the right tools and the right interaction. Here [in the issue of the return of Ukrainians – ed.] we cannot push," said Kuleba, without specifying what tools he is talking about. 

According to him, communication with the governments of the countries in which the most Ukrainian citizens are now located shows that, on the one hand, they are satisfied that Ukrainians live, work and adapt in their societies, and on the other, they want to help return them.

"They [governments whose nations host Ukrainians – ed.] are in a very tight space for manoeuvring because they cannot do so forcibly. And the same with us," said the foreign minister.

He stated that within the total number of Ukrainians abroad, there are those who have no place to return to, or are unable to do so due to illness, the necessity to care for loved ones, or other pressing humanitarian difficulties.

"I think if this group is put aside, for the remainder of Ukrainians who are now overseas, we are all present in this hall. Those who today write their exams at universities, go to work in the fields, in factories, in business, serve as a clear demonstration that you can live, develop, and raise children in Ukraine," Kuleba said.

In June, the European Commission proposed to prolong the temporary protection for people fleeing Russian aggression against Ukraine for another year, from 5 March 2025 to 4 March 2026.

In February, Kuleba called on Ukrainians who left Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion to return and help defend their homeland.

Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the EU, predicted that what he describes as a "battle for Ukrainian citizens" will unfold in 2025 between the EU member states and Kyiv.