The European Parliament: Russia must return the abducted Ukrainian children. Their deportation constitutes genocide

MEPs have called for “the immediate, safe and unconditional return of all Ukrainian children who have been deported or forcibly transferred,” emphasising that “the return of children is an obligation under international law and must never be used as a bargaining instrument or made conditional upon territorial concessions, prisoner exchanges, or other political agreements.” According to estimates provided by the European Parliament, by September 2026, 20,651 cases of the deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children by Russia had been verified, while approximately 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain under Russian occupation. The text also specifies that, up to 28 October 2026, 2,752 Ukrainian children who had been “deported, forcibly transferred, or rescued from the territories occupied” by Moscow had been repatriated.

MEPs have made it clear that “the safe and unconditional return of all unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children constitutes not only an urgent humanitarian necessity but also remains a centrepiece of international efforts to establish accountability for Russian crimes committed during the war.” For this reason, MEPs insist on regarding repatriation as “a central priority of all diplomatic initiatives and negotiations concerning a possible peace agreement to end Russia’s war of aggression”. “No lasting peace can disregard the rights of these children or the accountability of those responsible for violating their rights,” they added.

The European Parliament then urged Member States to “strengthen their practical cooperation with Ukraine, international partners, and organisations to accelerate the identification, documentation, tracing and return of all missing and deported Ukrainian children.” In addition, a call was made for greater pressure through EU sanctions “against officials and entities identified as responsible for child deportations.” In this context, Parliament also expressed its “full support for the International Criminal Court, the court’s unhindered activity, and its arrest warrants issued” against the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the Commissioner for Children’s Rights at the Russian Presidency, Maria Lvova-Belova, “for the war crime of the deportation and unlawful transfer of Ukrainian children.” MEPs believe that “responsibility accountability must extend beyond Russia’s upper leadership to encompass the entire chain of perpetrators and enablers responsible for the execution of these crimes.”

Finally, the resolution calls for close cooperation between the various stakeholders, including the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, Europol, the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, Eurojust, and the Ukrainian Ombudsman – an independent oversight authority appointed by the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament – to gather information and locate children who have been unlawfully transferred. The resolution was adopted following a debate on the matter held yesterday (11 November). Also present in the Chamber was the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, who, at the conclusion of her speech, stated: “The treatment of Ukrainian children over the last four years is the clearest example of Russia’s total disregard for life.”