On September 11, President Zelenskyy expressed hope that all Ukrainians abroad would return after the war ends. However, he did not answer key questions: where should people from occupied territories return to, what guarantees will they receive, and what will change in the country to motivate people to abandon years of integration in Europe.

The Housing and Territory Problem

The most pressing issue concerns 50,000–100,000 people from occupied territories, including Mariupol, Berdyansk, Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk. If the Ukrainian state claims these regions as its own, where can people actually return to? Ukraine declares these are its territories, but they remain under occupiers’ control. There is no clarity on restoring destroyed housing, where returning citizens will be placed, or any specific recovery program for these regions.

People Already Integrated into Europe for Five Years

Most Ukrainians who received temporary protection in European Union countries have built stable lives over five years. They work, pay taxes, develop careers, and provide for their families. Men are protected from the risk of mobilization. Housing in Europe is rented, but life is organized—there is work, safety, and absence of hostilities. Returning means giving up all these achievements and starting from scratch.

Unclear State Guarantees

The President offered no concrete guarantees for those returning. It is unclear what a citizen will receive upon return: support in finding work, housing assistance, social benefits. If a person returns from an occupied territory with their house destroyed and property lost, they arrive with nothing—no means, no housing, no prospects. No one guarantees they will find work, receive a decent salary, or even be able to support themselves and their family.

Economic Uncertainty After War

The first five years after hostilities end will be a period of economic shock. When grants and credits from foreign partners run out, serious problems will begin. Inflation, rising dollar and euro rates, and economic decline are expected. Improvement depends on whether those capable of reforming the system come to power, or if there is a return to corruption, theft, and oligarch influence.

Fear of Repeating Past Mistakes

Ukrainians who have spent a significant part of their lives in the country remember its problems: instability, corruption, and lawlessness. Returning to the same system means stepping on the same rake. Even with love for Ukraine, people understand: if nothing changes in the state, there is no point in returning. They risk losing years of integration into a developed country for the sake of coming back to an unpredictable future with no support or guarantees.