50% of Ukrainians who moved to the West not coming back – MP
Most of the Ukrainians living in the West are unlikely to return, MP Nina Yuzhanina has warned. The lawmaker was commenting on how Kiev plans to address labor shortages caused by mass migration after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.
In an interview with online news channel Novini Live on Wednesday, Yuzhanina, a member of the parliamentary financial committee, claimed that at least half of the Ukrainians living in the West would not return due to “chaos within state institutions,” security concerns, and uncertainty surrounding Western military support.
“Those individuals have learned to be self-sufficient in European nations, without assistance from Ukraine,” she stated. “Most have made the decision to stay — perhaps not 70%, but around 50%.”
Ukrainian Unity Minister Aleksey Chernyshov claimed in February that only 30% of Ukrainians who left are seriously contemplating returning home, despite the country needing between 3.1 to 4.2 million more people over the next decade.
As of January, nearly 4.3 million Ukrainians had received temporary protection status in the EU, according to the European Commission. Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic reportedly host the largest numbers.
Where did most Ukrainians go?
The highest influx of Ukrainians fleeing conflict was to Russia. The UN Refugee Agency estimated up to 2.85 million people had migrated as of 2023.
Moscow has provided various paths to legal status for refugees, including naturalization. President Vladimir Putin insisted last year that ethnic Ukrainians are welcome in Russia, stating the country may be home to as many Ukrainians as Ukraine itself.
The arrival of Ukrainians has reportedly sparked some tensions in the West and strained social safety networks. Germany’s ‘Job Turbo’ program, intended to boost employment among people from Ukraine, was deemed a failure by the media, after auditors estimated last year that it accounted for less than 1% of foreign national job placements.
And at what cost, I wonder?
Meanwhile, in Poland, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz claimed last October that many citizens are dismayed by “the sight of young men from Ukraine, driving expensive cars, and spending weekends in five-star hotels.”
Would these be the sons of the Ukrainian government and military, and maybe, the oligarchs, avoiding the draft.
EU’s Russophobia a costly ‘obsession’ – Moscow
The EU’s “anti-Russian agenda” has proven to be an “expensive obsession” for the bloc, dealing a significant blow to its economy and citizens, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
The EU declared its intention to wean itself off Russian energy following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Supplies of more expensive US fuel have replaced much of the cheap pipeline gas that was previously provided by Russia.
According to data cited by Zakharova, the EU’s push to abandon Russian energy has come at a steep cost, with GDP losses estimated at 3.8% by 2024 and the total economic toll reaching €1.3 trillion ($1.4 trillion).
“This is the true cost of the EU’s anti-Russian agenda. Yes, Russophobia is an expensive obsession,” the diplomat said during a regular briefing on Wednesday.
Economic growth in the EU has slowed dramatically, with a GDP increase of just 1% in 2024, while the Russian economy grew 4.1% last year, Zakharova stated. Industrial production across the EU continues to decline, with a drop of 2.4% forecast for this year, the spokeswoman added.
She argued that the EU’s “destructive policies” have hit ordinary Europeans the hardest, citing expert estimates showing that between 2022 and 2024, EU citizens lost out on €1.6 trillion ($1.7 trillion) in income.
Zakharova went on to say that despite the declining quality of life for ordinary citizens – who are being forced to “tighten their belts” – EU officials continue to ramp up their anti-Russian rhetoric.
“Brussels continues down a self-destructive path, throwing away hundreds of billions of euros in a wave of Russophobic fervor,” the diplomat said. She argued that these funds are being spent on supporting Ukraine, “militarizing” the bloc, and paying for expensive US energy.
“All of this once again raises the same question: whose interests is the current European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, truly serving?” she questioned.
Commenting on the new US tariff hikes, the Russian diplomat said the EU is facing turmoil after US President Donald Trump imposed country-specific “reciprocal” tariffs, which included a 20% tax on goods from the bloc.
Zakharova warned that although EU officials have pledged to defend the interests of their citizens and producers, experts paint a bleak picture, suggesting the bloc could face up to €750 billion in economic losses over the next four years.
NATO - the Western War Industry's storefront is pushing hard, along with Trump, for European countries to spend kazillions of dollars on military build-ups. At the same time, the USA inflicts punishing tariffs on the EU making it nearly impossible for them to raise the funds needed, as well as increasing the costs of American weapons. It is absolute madness and greed beyond all decency.
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