A new ministry has been created in Ukraine—the Ministry of National Unity. The parliament – the Verkhovna Rada, has even managed to appoint a new minister—the former head of Naftogaz of Ukraine, Oleksiy Chernyshov.
What does this change represent and what the implications?
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Kyiv Post has talked to insiders and sources about the creation of the new body that has replaced the Ministry for the Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories.
The creation of the new ministry was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting with the heads of foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine.
"Millions of our people in other countries, their ties and relations with Ukraine, the protection of our common interests as a nation—all this will be the responsibility of the new institution. It should be the Ministry of Ukrainian Unity and Countering Russian Influence on Ukrainians," Zelensky said.
The ministry's main functions will include:
- Rallying Ukrainians abroad and strengthening their ties with Ukraine.
- Ensuring the educational, cultural, and informational needs of Ukrainians abroad.
- Countering Russian propaganda and influence on Ukrainian communities outside the country.
Thus, the new agency will handle the return of Ukrainians from abroad—that Ukraine needs, and who, against the backdrop of the war, are actively moving to Western European countries—while consolidating them and creating cultural and informational content tailored to them.
Europe, Not the US, Is Ukraine’s Most Important Source of Support by a Substantial Margin
From Occupied Territories to Foreign Issues?
The first key point to understand is that the new ministry was not created from scratch. It involves changing the name, and functionality, and reformatting the existing Ministry for the Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories (commonly referred to as MinTOT). This has been a primary source of criticism for the new body.
“It was initially planned to abolish the old ministry and create a new one - or an agency for the interaction with Ukrainians abroad - instead. However, after long discussions, the ministry was modified. However, it is still unclear whether we will retain the functions related to the occupied territories,” said an official on condition of anonymity.
Mariia Zolkina, analyst and head of regional security and conflict research at the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, noted that over the years, the Ministry of Education and Science has implemented numerous programs to engage with residents of the occupied territories and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Reducing these functions could harm efforts to integrate Ukrainians fleeing Russian occupation.
"This sends a negative political signal, especially amid discussions about the Trump Plan and other potential conflict-freezing strategies. The occupied territories remain, and we must engage with people leaving them, work with displaced persons, analyze processes in the occupied territories, and coordinate resistance movements. The old ministry served as a hub for all programs related to displaced persons, including adjustments to the education system, such as university admissions for schoolchildren from occupied territories. Will this continue?" Zolkina asked.
Another issue concerns funding. The 2025 state budget has not included an allocation of funding for the new ministry, with even agency-level funding being minimal.
“We know nothing about this new ministry - no budget, no clearly defined functions, no documents regulating its structure, composition, or whether it will still address the occupied territories alongside its new focus on Ukrainians abroad," Zolkina said.
A source close to the presidential political party, the Servant of the People, shared concerns about the new direction: “What more can we do in the occupied territories?” which reflected the mood within the party they said.
Georgy Tuka, former Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories between 2016 and 2019 underlined the view that MinTOT had addressed numerous issues, the need for which is only continuing to grow.
“Even if we don’t reclaim the occupied territories militarily here and now, we cannot abandon the millions of people living there. The ministry handled many humanitarian and social issues and monitored how Russian companies in the occupied territories circumvented sanctions. For example, we traced how stolen Donbas coal was exported to Turkey. Such work is more relevant than ever,” Tuka said.
Duplicating Functions?
Critics also question whether Ukraine needs an entire ministry dedicated to the interaction with Ukrainians abroad.
“It’s impossible to assess without clear documentation outlining the ministry’s structure and functions. However, it appears to duplicate existing efforts, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs already handles Ukrainian diaspora issues through embassies and consulates. This is reminiscent of the Ministry of Strategic Industries, created two years ago, which partially overlaps with the Ministry of Defense and Ukroboronprom,” said a former senior official from the Ministry of Strategic Industries.
Zelensky has argued that the Foreign Ministry alone cannot address the scale of the challenge, as the once relatively small scale Ukrainian diaspora in Europe has been swelled by millions of displaced persons.
A Necessary Measure?
Despite such criticism, the new ministry also has many supporters. Officials told us they see it as a necessary response to Ukraine’s mass emigration problem.
“Let’s be honest, there’s a need for a coordinating body. Many people are leaving, not only from frontline or occupied areas but from regions far from danger. This leads to depopulation, which is a challenge the state must address to encourage people to return,” a source involved in discussions about the ministry said.
Tuka noted, however, that addressing emigration requires broader, systemic solutions beyond the scope of one ministry:
“Statistics from the International Migration Service show that within two years, up to 80% of emigrants want to return. But after five years, only 20 percent do - because they establish roots abroad with property, jobs, and families. Ukraine must improve its living and working conditions to address the underlying reasons people left, which were issues even before the full-scale war,” Tuka said.
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