Unity as a Prerequisite for Ukraine’s Survival: Association Chair Participates in Meeting Between the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Ukrainian World Congres

On 24 August 2026, Ukraine’s Independence Day, Volodymyr Palamar, Chair of the Board of the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia, participated in a meeting between the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, and the leadership of the Ukrainian World Congress.

The main topic of the meeting was the unity of Ukrainians in Ukraine and around the world as an essential condition for preserving the Ukrainian state and the Ukrainian people during the full-scale war.

Unity Does Not Mean Identical Views
During the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasised:

“Today, unity is not merely a wish or a festive slogan. In wartime, it becomes one of the main prerequisites for preserving the Ukrainian state and the Ukrainian people.”
The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church also stressed that unity does not mean that everyone must think alike, support the same political force, or remain silent about the authorities’ mistakes.

A democratic society needs honest criticism, action against corruption, accountability of public officials, and the protection of human rights. However, internal disagreements must not distract attention from the main cause of the destruction, deaths, and suffering of the Ukrainian people: Russia’s aggression.

Accumulated fatigue, pain, and disappointment must not turn into hostility among Ukrainians. The shared goal of the government and opposition, military personnel and civilians, and Ukrainians at home and abroad must remain the preservation of an independent Ukrainian state.

Supporting Ukraine’s Defence Forces and Ensuring State Accountability
Special attention was devoted to supporting the Defence Forces of Ukraine. This involves more than expressing gratitude to Ukrainian service members. It also means providing the military with the necessary resources, protecting the lives and rights of service members, ensuring fair mobilisation and rotation rules, and continuing to reform the country’s defence system.

The participants also emphasised the responsibility of state authorities, respect for the Constitution, accountability to society, honest communication, and dialogue between the government and opposition.

Integration Without Assimilation
Ukrainian World Congress President Paul Grod highlighted an important challenge facing Ukrainians living abroad: they must successfully integrate into the societies of their countries of residence without losing their Ukrainian identity.

This issue is particularly important for the Ukrainian community in Estonia.

Ukrainians living in Estonia are a responsible part of Estonian society. They respect the country, its laws, the Estonian language, and its culture. At the same time, it is essential to preserve the Ukrainian language, historical memory, and cultural traditions, and to pass them on to future generations.

Ukrainian civil society organisations, weekend schools, cultural groups, youth initiatives, and humanitarian projects all contribute to this goal.

A Call for Unity Among Ukrainians in Estonia
The Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia calls on Ukrainian organisations, volunteers, teachers, clergy, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and all Ukrainians who care about our shared future to engage in dialogue and cooperation.

The Ukrainian community in Estonia is diverse. It includes people of different generations and from different regions of Ukraine, with different life experiences, political views, and religious beliefs. Such diversity is natural in a democratic society.

Unity does not require all organisations to merge into a single structure, nor does it mean giving up one’s own views. It means respecting one another, maintaining constructive dialogue, and cooperating in areas where our goals coincide.

The shared priorities of Ukrainians in Estonia include:

supporting Ukraine’s defenders;
assisting people affected by the war;
protecting the rights and interests of Ukrainians;
developing Ukrainian weekend schools;
preserving the Ukrainian language, culture, and historical memory;
working with children and young people;
representing Ukraine and raising awareness of the country within Estonian society;
strengthening international support for Ukraine.
Personal ambitions, past misunderstandings, and differences between organisations must not become obstacles to joint action.

The Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia remains an open platform for dialogue, cooperation, and joint initiatives.

Ukrainians do not have to be identical to act together. We do not have to agree on everything to respect one another. True unity means being able to place Ukraine’s shared future above personal and organisational disagreements.

Let us unite not around names and positions, but around Ukraine — not only in words, but through joint action.

Source: Official statement of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church