European Official: Russia Forcibly Transferring Thousands of Ukrainian Children to Its Territory

Brussels, Nov 12 (KUNA) -- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on Wednesday evening that more than 20,500 Ukrainian children had been illegally and forcibly transferred to Russia, affirming that the transfers and the ideological indoctrination targeting them in occupied Ukrainian territories constitute crimes against humanity. Speaking before the European Parliament, Kallas stated that the transfer of children from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia is carried out under a government policy approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin. She noted that a report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) documented an organized campaign to erase Ukrainian identity among children in the occupied territories starting from early childhood.

Kallas added that the European Union has imposed sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for the transfers, ideological indoctrination, and illegal adoptions, and has expanded its sanctions list to include the Songdowon International Children’s Camp in North Korea after Ukrainian children were found there. She clarified that the EU supports international efforts to repatriate the children and hold those responsible for these violations accountable, including the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.

Kallas noted that European support has included approximately 30 million euros in humanitarian aid for children and facilities designated for them, 10 million euros to support education and teachers, 5 million euros to restore educational systems in war-affected areas, and 4 million euros to support forcibly transferred Ukrainian children and accountability efforts related to crimes connected to their transfers.

Kallas revealed that 2,790 Ukrainian children had been returned to their country by November, including 13 children and adolescents last week, emphasizing that the ultimate goal is to reunite all children with their families. She stressed the necessity of establishing safe and regular communication channels between the children and their families, relatives, or legal guardians, and affirmed that any negotiated settlement to end the Russian war on Ukraine must guarantee the return of all children to their families. She warned that failing to return Ukrainian children to their families would leave a stain on the conscience of humanity. (End) A.R.N. / H.S.S.