Official discussions are taking place between Kyiv and the European Union regarding the return of Ukrainian refugees, although there is no talk of reducing assistance to them from the EU.
This information was officially confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna.
According to her, discussions have already begun between official Kyiv and Brussels on how to “consider the issues of Ukrainians, how to discuss the issue of the return of Ukrainians” in the future.
The government official emphasized that this is a very complex issue to address.
“And here we cannot do without appeals. It is definitely not Ukraine’s stance that Ukrainians should return, and therefore some assistance to them should be reduced — absolutely not. This is an ongoing discussion,” explained Olga Stefanishyna.
The Deputy Prime Minister also emphasized that President Volodymyr Zelensky’s team insists that Ukrainian refugees in the European Union “have the right to temporary protection,” even in the event of a cessation of hostilities.
Another issue is financial payments, as it has been a considerable amount of time. Unfortunately, the war continues. It has been ongoing for almost two years, and, accordingly, this is a certain threshold for the state. Therefore, we need to determine financial and social guarantees that citizens have in each country,” stated the official.
Where did the rumors about Ukraine pressuring the EU come from?
Recently, Politico, citing its insiders, reported that official Kyiv is conducting secret negotiations with European counterparts.
During these talks, the Ukrainian government allegedly seeks to ensure that future migration rules of the European Union will help repatriate a larger number of Ukrainians next year to support the Ukrainian economy.
As of November 2023, 4.2 million Ukrainians who fled the war to the EU have benefited from the temporary protection directive, which is valid until March 2025.