The International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children has called on Russia to return abducted Ukrainian children without delay and without any conditions. The joint statement was signed by 38 countries, the Council of Europe, and the European Union.
According to Ukrinform, the statement was published on the website of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
“The International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, established within the framework of the President’s initiative Bring Kids Back UA, has called on Russia to return abducted Ukrainian children without delay and without any conditions. The Coalition is co-chaired by Canada and Ukraine. The joint statement was signed by 38 countries, the Council of Europe, and the European Union,” the report reads.
Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, emphasized that the international community is united in demanding the return of Ukrainian children.
“The entire civilized world is watching. Today’s statement by the Coalition demonstrates that the international community is united in its demand to return every Ukrainian child who was deported or forcibly transferred. These crimes are unjustifiable, and there must be no delay in bringing the children home. Every day that passes without their return is another day of continued injustice. We will not stop until every child is where they belong: with their family, in their homeland, safe and free,” said Yermak.
As noted, during the first round of peace talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation presented Russia with an initial list of children to be returned – a step that could have served as a confidence-building measure. Eight weeks have passed, including a second round of negotiations, and Russia has refused to propose any meaningful mechanism for returning the Ukrainian children.
“The suffering of children is one of the most unbearable tragedies of this war. Russia’s forced deportation of nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children is a blatant violation of international law. These children must be returned. We call on Russia to start with the 339 children identified by Ukraine. The EU will continue to impose sanctions on those responsible for abducting Ukrainian children and attempting to erase their identity. The European Union also calls for an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire – something Ukraine has been advocating for many months – in order to end the suffering and pave the way for genuine peace negotiations,” emphasized EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas.
The unlawful deportation and forced transfer of children are grave violations of international law, including the Geneva Conventions and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“Now is the time to intensify pressure on Moscow and demand the return of Ukrainian children – starting with the list handed to Russia in Istanbul. I thank our Canadian friends and the forty other Coalition partners for their principled and united stance on this issue. Russian officials who cynically comment on the issue of deported children must not be allowed to ignore it. We will never allow Russia to use our children as bargaining chips. Their return is not up for negotiation. Every Ukrainian child who has been separated from their family and homeland must be brought home,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha.
The Coalition also calls on Russia to provide full and verifiable information on the whereabouts, condition, and legal status of all children; to ensure unhindered access for international humanitarian organizations; and to stop manipulating the identities of children – including through the forced change of citizenship, placement in Russian families or institutions, and subjecting them to ideological indoctrination and militarization.
“Ukrainian children abducted by Russia must be returned. Children living under Russian occupation must be freed. Children living in fear of terror must be given safety, and those forced to flee Ukraine must be given the opportunity to return home. Russia must be held accountable for making the destruction of children’s lives a strategic policy in its war of aggression. It is the duty of the international community to ensure justice,” concluded Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir, Special Envoy of the Council of Europe Secretary General on the situation of children of Ukraine.
As Ukrinform previously reported, as part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, four more Ukrainian children have been successfully returned from temporarily occupied territories.
Photo credit: Bring Kids Back UA
Source: 38 countries, EU, Council of Europe urge Russia to return Ukrainian children
