The European Parliament has determined that Russia’s actions involving the deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children meet the legal definition of genocide. The resolution was adopted with 536 votes “for”, 8 “against” and 37 “abstentions”.
The document calls on all European Union member states to officially recognize these actions as genocide. MEPs urged Russia to return the children immediately and unconditionally, and for those responsible to be held accountable.
“The European Parliament declares that Russia’s actions against Ukrainian children meet the legal definition of genocide and calls on the member states to officially recognize them as such,” the resolution states.It also stresses that the children’s return must not be subject to political bargaining. According to the European Parliament, it cannot be used as a bargaining chip, a condition for territorial concessions, part of a prisoner exchange or an element of any other political deal within the framework of peace talks.
More than 20,000 confirmed cases
The resolution states that, as of September 2026, at least 20,651 cases of Ukrainian children deported or forcibly transferred by Russia have been confirmed. MEPs also condemn practices such as illegal adoptions, changes to personal data, forced Russification, political indoctrination and military training.
The Parliament calls for full information to be provided on the identity, whereabouts and condition of all the children. The appeal also includes stronger support for tracking the minors, restoring contact with their families and providing the necessary psychological assistance.
What international law provides
The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines as such a crime the forcible transfer of children from one national, ethnic, racial or religious group to another when carried out with the intent to destroy the group, in whole or in part. This provision is cited as the legal basis in the resolution.
The European Parliament has already called for the safe and unconditional return of Ukrainian children. A resolution adopted in May 2025 described Russia’s actions and Belarus’s role as part of a strategy to erase Ukrainian identity and stated that any genuine peace agreement must include the repatriation of the children. At the time, the document was backed by 516 MEPs, three voted against it and 34 abstained.
The new resolution places the issue of the children’s return among the conditions that the European Parliament considers mandatory in future diplomatic efforts to end the war.
Sources: 24chasa.bg