Digital statement on the first meeting of the international coalition for the return of Ukrainian children
Digital statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Hanke Bruins Slot, on the the first meeting of the international coalition for the return of Ukrainian children. Kyiv, 8 December 2023.
This Tuesday I visited the Center for the Protection of Children’s Rights in Kyiv.
I spoke with a girl who had been abducted by Russia, yet managed to return home.
Back in September, I met with six Ukrainian children who were visiting the Netherlands to raise awareness of Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children.
Their stories are heart-wrenching.
One of them, 13-year-old Sashko, told me he was wounded by Russian artillery and sent to a filtration camp with his mother.
After they arrived, they were separated.
Sashko was told that his mother had abandoned him, and that he would be taken in by a Russian foster family.
Fortunately, Sashko’s grandmother was able to free him and bring him back home.
The abduction of these and other Ukrainian children, the attempts to Russify them, and the forced adoption of some of them are violations of international law. Violations of the most cynical and cruel nature.
It is absolutely devastating that Russia is targeting the most vulnerable and innocent: children. The stories of the stolen children of Ukraine must be heard. And to get these children back where they belong, we must all work together:
Countries…
International organisations…
And civil society…
The return of Ukraine’s abducted children is a priority for the Netherlands. We are actively working with Ukraine and Germany, in particular, to raise awareness. But raising awareness is not enough.
It is not enough for Ukrainian society, which yearns to see justice done.
It is not enough for the parents who long to be reunited with their children.
It is not enough for the children who have been exposed to Russia’s cruelty.
We must do everything to get them back home. Back to Ukraine with their families, where they belong.
The Netherlands is grateful that Canada and Ukraine have launched the international coalition for the return of Ukrainian children. I spoke with the Ombudsman on Tuesday and was truly impressed by the work they are doing.
We will continue our endeavors within this important coalition.
As part of our efforts, we are helping Ukraine to create a DNA database to make it easier to reunite abducted Ukrainian children with their loved ones.
Ladies and gentlemen,
My message today is clear and simple:
The future of the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia hangs in the balance.
These children must be returned home.
They must be reunited with their families.
They must get their futures and their lives back.
We cannot stand idly by and let Russia continue its quest to erase Ukrainian identity and culture.
We must act now.
Thank you.