Ursula von der Leyen announces a conference on children abducted by Russia

The EU wishes to make progress on the file of Ukrainian children. The European Union will organize in partnership with Warsaw and Kiev a conference to help locate children abducted in Ukraine by Russia and their return to their country, announced Thursday, March 23 the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. “It’s a horrific reminder of the darkest times in our history, the deportations of children that are happening there. It’s a war crime.”said the German official after a summit in Brussels.

“We know that 16,200 children were deported, only 300 have since returned.”

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

at a press conference

She added that “these criminal actions completely justify the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court” on March 17 against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for “illegal deportation” of Ukrainian children during the Russian invasion.

“We want to exert international pressure”

“In partnership with the Ukrainians, (Polish) Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and I have launched an initiative to repatriate these children kidnapped by Russia. For this we will organize a conference (…) we want to exert pressure international community so that all possible measures are taken to trace these children”, said Ursula von der Leyen. She did not give any details on the date or location of this event.

The aim is “to help UN bodies and relevant international organizations obtain more comprehensive information” on deported children, she said. “This also includes children who have been adopted or transferred to Russian foster families,” she said.