Denys Uliutin held a meeting with Ylva Johansson, the EU Special Envoy for Ukrainians

Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine Denys Uliutin met with the European Union’s Special Envoy for Ukrainians, Ylva Johansson, during her first official visit to Kyiv in her new capacity.

The key focus of the meeting was on strengthening cooperation in the context of the gradual transition away from temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens in the EU. In particular, the parties discussed the recent Council of the EU recommendations, which set out a coordinated approach to transitioning towards other forms of legal residence in EU Member States or voluntary return to Ukraine with proper reintegration.

Denys Uliutin underlined that the policy of unity remains one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities. This includes preserving ties with Ukrainians abroad, ensuring they feel part of the Ukrainian society, and encouraging voluntary return.

“We realistically assess that the key condition for Ukrainians to return home is security, and this is the responsibility of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Until that goal is achieved, our main task is to help our people maintain contact with Ukraine and prepare for their eventual return. This is especially important for families with children,” noted Denys Ulyutin.

According to the Minister, the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity is working on developing digital tools to maintain communication and provide accurate information to Ukrainians abroad. These resources will include up-to-date data on housing, employment opportunities, education, and social services available in Ukraine.

The sides also discussed joint efforts to launch Unity Hubs in EU Member States. These centres will serve as spaces for civic activity, psychosocial support, cultural exchange, and education. The first Hubs are expected to open in Germany, Spain, and the Czech Republic.

For her part, Ylva Johansson reported that around 4.7 million Ukrainians currently remain under temporary protection in the EU. At the same time, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, nearly half a million Ukrainians have left this status and returned home.

“When we speak about EU policy towards Ukrainians who are under temporary protection in Member States, we are, above all, speaking about an investment in the future of Ukraine. Work is now underway to support the transition from temporary protection to national residence permits. At the same time, Member States are preparing voluntary return programmes, in particular by strengthening the capacity of Ukrainian communities that will be receiving returnees,” Ylva Johansson underlined.

As a result of the talks, the parties agreed to deepen cooperation, particularly in areas such as data exchange and analytics, coordination of assistance for return and reintegration programs, and joint work on establishing Unity Hubs.

It should be recalled that the Council of the European Union adopted a Recommendation setting out a coordinated approach to the transition out of temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine, which is due to expire on 4 March 2027. The objective is to ensure legal certainty and provide agreed mechanisms for transition either to other forms of legal stay in the Union or to voluntary return to Ukraine with sustainable reintegration.

The Council Recommendation provides for two main pathways for Ukrainians to remain legally in the Member States:

• National legal statuses – such as residence permits based on employment, self-employment, education or research, family grounds, or dedicated residence permits under national programmes.
• Union law statuses – where access to national legal statuses is not possible, displaced persons from Ukraine should be able to apply for authorisations under the relevant Union Directives.

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