Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: “For Ukraine, the return of our children remains one of the key priorities. I stressed that a sustainable peace is impossible without their return home.

So far, we have succeeded in bringing back more than two thousand children. However, many of them remain forcibly and unlawfully deported by the aggressor state.

Russia systematically changes the documents of Ukrainian children and places them in foster families, including in remote regions of the Russian Federation. Moreover, it seeks by various means to erase their identity. Cynically, Russia also instrumentalises children in this war, using them as leverage in negotiations.

Such actions constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes.

We discussed practical steps aimed at stopping these violations, implementing the relevant UN General Assembly resolution on the return of Ukrainian children, and strengthening international efforts to ensure accountability for these crimes.”