Social protection and unity of Ukrainians: meeting with Minister Denys Uliutin in Tallinn

On 17 October 2026, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Estonia hosted a meeting between representatives of the Ukrainian community and Denys Uliutin, Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine. The meeting was attended by Vladimir Palamar, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia and Adviser to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Estonia.

The minister was accompanied by Deputy Minister Ilona Havronska, adviser Serhii Khudiiash and Anna Dmytrenko, Director of the Department of International Cooperation and European Integration.

The discussion focused on the social protection of Ukrainians abroad, access to public services and maintaining ties with Ukraine. Participants were able to ask questions and describe the difficulties people face in everyday life.

Issues raised included pensions, confirmation of disability status, and obtaining and recognising Ukrainian documents. The discussion also covered administrative difficulties faced by mothers raising children alone, support for people whose homes remain in the occupied territories, and the rehabilitation of servicemen.

Vladimir Palamar raised the issue of cooperation between the relevant institutions of Ukraine and Estonia and the corresponding intergovernmental agreements. For Ukrainians living in Estonia, such cooperation has practical significance: it determines whether they can obtain the necessary documents, confirm their status and use social services.

Denys Uliutin spoke about the ministry’s cooperation with the Office of the Ombudsman and the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets. Cooperation between state institutions, human rights bodies and civil society organisations is important for identifying problems and protecting the rights of Ukrainians, including those abroad.

A separate topic was the development of the network for the unity of Ukrainians abroad, digital information tools and opportunities to involve civil society organisations in this work. Participants discussed accessible consultations, feedback from communities and drawing on the experience of organisations that are already helping people on the ground.

For the Association, it is important that the appeals of Ukrainians become the basis for systematic work. Summarising typical questions and passing them on to the responsible institutions helps identify common difficulties and find solutions that can benefit many people.

The Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia thanks Denys Uliutin and his team for the open dialogue, Ambassador of Ukraine Volodymyr Boiechko and the Embassy team for organising the meeting, and community representatives for their specific questions and active participation.