Ukraine, together with its partners, will collect data and fill the registry of information on children deported or forcibly displaced due to Russian armed aggression against our country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this during his participation in the annual Warsaw Security Forum.
The Head of State noted that last week, on the margins of the UN General Assembly, a summit of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was held at the leaders’ level, with more than 40 countries taking part.
“We need a clear registry of these children, and we are working on it. It’s extremely difficult to find any information inside Russia about where our children are, while some are in temporarily occupied territories, and thousands have been forcibly removed to Russia,” the President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that this is the number one priority, and that partners’ support is crucial for Ukraine.
“Thanks to their networks, economic links, and intelligence services, many countries will help uncover and fill the registry with actual data. That is the first item we agreed on. I’m convinced this is the toughest issue. It is not a matter of days or months. It will take years. I’m sorry to have to say that, but when we’re talking about thousands, tens of thousands of children, whom Russia hid by one means or another – all of which were clearly illegal – finding them is extremely difficult,” the Head of State emphasized.
The President noted that thanks to the support of countries from different continents, particularly through political agreements, more than 1,600 Ukrainian children have been brought back.