A meeting was held at the Child Rights Protection Center in Kyiv between the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets; the Chief Operating Officer of Bring Kids Back UA and Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President, Dariia Zarivna; U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal; and U.S. Chargé d'Affaires ad interim to Ukraine, Julie Davis.
The U.S. delegation was briefed on the current situation regarding the return of Ukrainian children who were illegally deported or forcibly transferred to Russia. Particular attention was given to the actual mechanisms for bringing the children back.
“Today, there are two primary channels for returning Ukrainian children. The first is through diplomatic mediation by third countries. At present, Qatar, the Republic of South Africa, and the Vatican play this role. Ukraine is actively working to expand the circle of mediators, with a special focus on countries of the Global South. The second channel involves rescue missions organized by the state in close partnership with civil society and volunteer organizations,” noted Dariia Zarivna.
She emphasized that Ukraine provides mediators with up-to-date information and is ready to support large-scale returns if Russia cooperates.
“The deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children is a crime of genocide. The Russian Federation changes children's documents to Russian ones, indoctrinates them, and militarizes their education. The goal is to eventually turn them into soldiers for the Russian army who would fight against their own homeland. To save them, we need a strong international response,” emphasized Dmytro Lubinets.
The meeting also addressed the possibility of including the issue of returning Ukrainian children in future peace processes, as well as the importance of maintaining sanctions pressure on Russia.