People's diplomacy in action!

This week the Association team met representatives of American think tanks (Center for the National Interest, Transatlantic Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Brookings Institution, Heritage Foundation's Allison Center for National Security, American Enterprise Institute, Center for European Policy Analysis, Saratoga Foundation) to discuss the situation of Ukrainian refugees in Estonia and the Ukrainian diaspora in general.

Members of the Association team shared the problems and challenges facing displaced people: finding work, learning the language, children's education, difficulties accessing healthcare and so on.

Volodymyr Palamar talked about the projects the Association runs with the support of the Integratsiooni Sihtasutus and the Kultuuriministeerium, which help Ukrainians come together and integrate into Estonian society.

In particular, they mentioned the "Vyshyvanka Unites – Rahvustikand ühendab" festival, held last week, which brought Estonians and Ukrainians together around preserving the age-old traditions and cultural heritage of both nations. We invited Americans to visit the festival next year!

For their part, the representatives of the American think tanks assured us that the people of the United States will continue to support Ukraine and Ukrainians in their fight against the Russian aggressor. In particular, they noted that a bipartisan group of senators recently introduced a resolution calling for the return of all abducted Ukrainian children before any peace agreement to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

In the participants' view, a peaceful and just end to the war in Ukraine is possible only if all Ukrainian children abducted by Putin's regime are returned!

Thank you for organising the meeting to Anna Tiido, adviser at the NATO and Transatlantic Relations Department of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Välisministeerium.

Thank you to all the think tank representatives who showed interest in the situation of the Ukrainian community in Estonia. We hope for continued support and help for our country from the people and government of the United States.