Over the past decade, Ukraine’s population has declined to 32 million people - the global Ukrainian nation is estimated at 60 million, Deputy Prime Minister and National Unity Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov said in an interview with Die Welt on Feb. 11.

Chernyshov emphasized that Ukraine aims to maintain a connection between Ukrainians abroad and their homeland.

“On our Independence Day in 1991, Ukraine was a country of 52 million people,” he said.

“Within ten years, this number dropped to 48 million. By the time of the first invasion, it was only 45 million.”