High-Level Meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children: Press statement by High Representative Kaja Kallas

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Dear colleagues,

Of all the horrors by Russia's war, the deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children is one of its worst crimes. Stealing children is not incidental. It is a deliberate Russian policy, a calculated attack on Ukraine's future.

Over 20,000 Ukrainian children remain trapped in Russia or in Russian occupied territories. They have been torn from their families, stripped off their names, language and identity, and this is a criminal attempt to erase Ukraine's future generation. Ukraine's pilot programme to trace and verify the whereabouts of Ukrainian children has already determined the location of more than 1,300 children and has leads on 1,800 more. Bringing these children home is a priority. The aim must be to locate and return every child deported and transferred to Russia.

Today is about practical contributions to make that happen. The EU has already provided tens of millions of euros to war-affected children, families and communities. And this has covered everything from psychological support to care centres. A crucial pillar of this work is also accountability. There can be no just and lasting peace without it. This goes for what happened in places like Bucha, for every hospital, theatre and school struck deliberately by Russia. But this also goes for the theft of Ukrainian children. Russia must answer for these war crimes. 

The European Union has sanctioned over 100 individuals and entities involved in deportation, forced transfer and the so-called “re-education” of Ukrainian children. Today, we added 23 more names, and we are prepared to go forward. We will continue to expose this gruesome Russian policy in every international forum, especially in the United Nations. And we will push for the full implementation of the UN resolution on returning Ukrainian children. Thank you.

• Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/media/video/I-289328