On 30 April, Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, took part in Civil Society And Expert Day, an event organized as part of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Bring Kids Back UA initiative.

During the event, the Minister was presented with recommendations prepared by civil society representatives based on substantive discussions, which will be presented to international partners at the high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, scheduled to take place in Brussels on 11 May.

“If we want to consolidate the world — we must be consolidated within. A 'one voice' policy is what we need during the war in all areas," Andrii Sybiha stated.

In his address, the Minister placed primary emphasis on key issues of the return of Ukrainian children, keeping Ukraine at the center of international attention, strengthening cooperation within the International Coalition, and increasing international pressure on Russia.

The Foreign Minister highlighted the success of efforts to repatriate abducted children, in particular, more than 2,000 children have been returned to date. But this is only a fraction. The gap between the number of children abducted and those returned remains unacceptable.

"It is clear that the primary outcome is the return of the children. That is the undisputed main criterion. And the fact that more than two thousand children are already home today is a significant achievement. It became possible thanks to the personal leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, First Lady Olena Zelenska, and the presidential Bring Kids Back initiative," said Andrii Sybiha.

The Minister also highlighted the joint work on the international track. In particular, attention was drawn to the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly, where last autumn more than forty delegations were brought together, including fifteen leaders, as well as monarchs, first ladies and first gentlemen.

The Foreign Minister drew attention to the fact that the process of sanctioning specific Russian criminals involved in the deportation has already been launched, and called on partners to continue working to ensure that all those responsible are held accountable.

"As you may recall, back in 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Putin and his commissioner for the abduction of Ukrainian children, Lvova-Belova. And while the warrants have not yet been executed — they are already making an impact. We must work to ensure that all those involved face sanctions — including every single contractor at every filtration camp or any other vile institution," he emphasized.

The Minister separately outlined the priorities ahead of the International Coalition summit in Brussels. Among the key ones are the expansion of the coalition, tracking and verification, execution of the UN General Assembly resolution "Return of Ukrainian Children," as well as work on rehabilitation and reintegration programs.

The Foreign Minister stressed that the document prepared by civil society representatives, incorporating expert findings and the outcomes of today's discussions, will be presented by him at the meeting in Brussels.

In closing, the Minister stated: "There is no such thing as someone else's children. We must return not only our children home, but Ukrainian childhood itself — to our children. And the final chapter must, of course, be the bringing to justice of every single person involved, without exception."