Norway joins modernization of Ukraine's social system and supports preparations for return of Ukrainians, Denys Uliutin says
On 10 November, Denys Uliutin, Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, met with Lars Ragnar Hansen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Norway to Ukraine, and Mette Ono Njøten, the Councelor at the Embassy of Norway. The parties discussed reform of the social protection system, humanitarian support for the population and creating conditions for the voluntary return of Ukrainians from abroad.
Denys Uliutin thanked Norway for its decision to help fund the grant component of the World Bank's SPIRIT program, which aims to modernize Ukraine's social protection system. The sides also discussed the work of the Humanitarian Response and Resilience Account of the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine. The Ambassador spoke positively of this mechanism for channeling international aid to the most vulnerable groups. The Minister thanked the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), which directed UAH 25 million through the account for cash assistance to people in areas of active and former hostilities as part of winter 2026/2027 preparations. Ambassador Lars Ragnar Hansen said that Norway's policy priorities for Ukraine include supporting the population during winter and helping create conditions for Ukrainians to return home voluntarily. He stressed the importance of coordinating these efforts with the Ukrainian side and taking citizens' needs into account.
"A state's resilience is determined not only by its ability to withstand external challenges, but also by its capacity to care for the people who need support most. During war in particular, it is important that assistance is timely, accessible and responds to people's real needs. It is care for the most vulnerable groups, the development of social services and support for communities that strengthen the resilience of the whole country," Denys Uliutin stressed.
Preparing for the voluntary return of Ukrainians from abroad was another priority of the meeting. The Minister reported on the development of the 2026-2028 Action Plan, which provides for 48 steps to coordinate government bodies, identify the needs of returning citizens and develop tools for their reintegration. These tools include the Dodomu digital platform, which has been running in test mode since June 2026. It provides information on communities, housing, education, employment and available services, and lets users build a personalized return plan. As of early October, the platform featured information on 149 communities, and the number of its visitors was approaching 41,000. The Minister also noted the importance of developing the Unity Hub Network to keep Ukrainians abroad connected with the state.
Ambassador Lars Ragnar Hansen confirmed Norway's interest in continuing to support Ukraine and stressed the importance of aligning international assistance with Ukrainian priorities and strengthening national institutions rather than creating parallel support mechanisms. The parties agreed to continue the dialogue on deepening cooperation, in particular on supporting Ukrainians abroad, preparing for their voluntary return and strengthening Ukraine's social protection system.