Voskoboynik on “mixed-race people”: what was actually said in the interview

31 May 17:20

In recent days, a so-called “statement” by Vasyl Voskoboynik, head of the civil society organization “Office of Migration Policy,” has been widely circulated online, claiming that “the Ukrainians of the future will be mestizos—a mix of Ukrainians and Indians or Bangladeshis.” There’s just one problem: he never said that, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".

This is not a quote, but a fantasy and interpretation by the author of the post, who took a fragment of a lengthy interview on demographics, labor migration, and global competition for talent—and simply projected his own fears, emotions, and political messages onto Voskoboynik’s words.

What did he actually say?

He spoke about the obvious: Ukraine is losing its population, the birth rate is falling, people are aging, millions of citizens have left the country, and the labor shortage is already becoming a real problem for the economy.

Here is the excerpt from the interview itself, without distortions or “creative retellings”:

“Journalist: Is there a threat of the Ukrainian nation dying out? Will Ukrainians remain, provided that Ukrainian culture and the Ukrainian language are preserved? Although, perhaps, ethnically they will no longer be Ukrainians, but simply people who call themselves that. For example, excuse me, mestizos—a mix of Ukrainian, Indian, Bangladeshi, and so on.

Voskoboynik: To some extent, this will be our path, because our territory is still located in a very favorable climatic zone. Here there is fertile land; here is a crossroads of trade routes. Next to us is a huge European neighbor who will still need the same agricultural products, metals, or new technologies that will be developed here. I am confident that people will come here. The most important thing is that the people who come here are law-abiding, pay their taxes, and eventually become part of our political nation.

The key phrase in the answer is: “To some extent, this will be our path.” And to what extent exactly depends on what kind of country we actually build.

If society wants a different future, we must not fight those who speak out about the problem, but rather build a strong country. A country where Ukrainians will want to live, raise children, and return to.