The International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children called on Russia to return the abducted Ukrainian children without delay and without setting any conditions. The call was made in a joint statement signed by 38 countries, including Bulgaria, as well as the Council of Europe and the EU, Ukrinform reported, citing a statement on the official website of the Office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, BTA reported.
„The International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, established within the framework of the Ukrainian President's initiative "Bring the Children Back to Ukraine", calls on Russia to return the abducted Ukrainian children without delay and without setting any conditions. The coalition is co-chaired by Canada and Ukraine. The joint statement was signed by 38 countries, as well as the Council of Europe and the EU,“ the website's statement said.
The head of the presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, stressed that the international community is united in its demand for the return of Ukrainian children.
“The entire civilized world is watching. Today's statement by the Coalition shows that the international community is united in its demand for the return of every Ukrainian child who has been deported or forcibly transferred. These crimes cannot be justified and there should be no delay in returning the children home. Every day that passes without their return is another day in which injustice continues. We will not stop until every child is returned to where they belong – with their families, in their homeland, safe and free“, said Ermak.
“The suffering of children is one of the most unbearable tragedies of this war. Russia's forced deportation of almost 20,000 Ukrainian children is a clear 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 the abduction of Ukrainian children and the attempts to erase their identities. The EU also calls for an immediate, complete and unconditional ceasefire – something that Ukraine has been demanding for many months, in order to end the suffering and pave the way for genuine peace talks,” stressed EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaia Kalas.
“Now is the time to increase the pressure on Moscow and demand the return of Ukrainian children, starting with the list handed over to Russia in Istanbul. I thank our Canadian friends and the forty other Coalition partners for their principled and united position 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 non-negotiable. "Every Ukrainian child separated from their family and homeland must be returned home," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said.
The coalition also called 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 children's identities - including through forced change of citizenship, placement in Russian families or institutions, and by subjecting them to ideological indoctrination and militarization.