Alexey Makeev
This was reported by Ukraine’s Ambassador to Germany, Aleksei Makeev, in an interview with the Ukrinform news agency.
He cited the Unity Hub centers as one of the key tools for engaging with the Ukrainian community abroad. “We are grateful to the Germans for helping to develop the idea of creating centers for Ukrainians—the Unity Hubs. The first one has already opened in central Berlin and is gradually becoming more active. For example, I personally visited it during its first days of operation. There were representatives from the Pension Fund, and Ukrainians immediately lined up to see them,” Makeev said.
According to him, such centers allow the Ukrainian government to stay closer to its citizens. “The government is present here. It is expanding the range of services it can provide. Ukrainian citizens also have more opportunities to interact with one another. Ukrainian civil society organizations in Germany can obtain office space. Therefore, this is a very positive innovation,” the diplomat emphasized.
Two Components of the Repatriation Effort
Oleksiy Makeev explained that efforts to coordinate the return of Ukrainian citizens consist of two tasks. “The first is the Unity Hub—that is, our government’s work with the Ukrainian community, where we explain what opportunities are available. The second is to understand how we can facilitate the return in cooperation with the Germans. That is why a working group has been established between Ukrainian and German agencies to facilitate the exchange of information,” he noted.
The diplomat also highlighted the need to understand the structure of the Ukrainian community in Germany. “We must know our audience. Today, there are about 1.3 million Ukrainians in Germany. We see that the proportion of those who are already working—who not only receive assistance but also pay social security contributions—is increasing significantly. These figures are not yet on par with those in Poland, but the majority of Ukrainians have already integrated,” Makeev said.
A Shared Interest for Kyiv and Berlin
The ambassador emphasized that both capitals are interested in maintaining the connection between Ukrainians abroad and their homeland. “It is in our interest and in Germany’s interest to ensure that we can count on professionally trained Ukrainians during Ukraine’s reconstruction. This is our common interest,” he emphasized.
When asked about the return of men of draft age who left Ukraine illegally, the diplomat confirmed that the relevant mechanisms are already being worked out. “I will not disclose these mechanisms just yet. They are currently being discussed as part of this working group’s efforts,” Makeev stated.
Earlier reports indicated that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz considers it necessary to work toward the return of young Ukrainian men from Germany to their homeland. As of May 30, there were 1.348 million refugees from Ukraine in Germany, including 356,000 men between the ages of 18 and 63, according to DW.
