On May 11–12, in Brussels, Deputy Minister Mariana Betsa participated as part of the Ukrainian delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha in the meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, and delivered remarks during the closing session of the event.
In her address, Mariana Betsa highlighted the leading role of the International Coalition in shaping a coordinated international response to Russia's crimes against Ukrainian children. In this context, the Deputy Minister welcomed the Coalition's new members, emphasising that the protection of children is the responsibility of the entire international community.
The diplomat stressed that Russia is seeking to deprive Ukrainian children not only of their homes, but also of their memory, identity and future, and that crimes against children require proper international accountability.
"In protecting Ukrainian children, we are defending far more than Ukraine's future. We are upholding a universal principle: no child, anywhere in the world, should become a target of war, a victim of war crimes. And by ensuring accountability for those who have committed crimes against Ukrainian children, we send the world a clear signal — crimes against children will not go unpunished," Mariana Betsa underscored.
The Deputy Minister emphasised the importance of international unity for the return of every Ukrainian child and for ensuring their subsequent rehabilitation and reintegration. The diplomat also highlighted the significant contribution of Ukrainian civil society and expert community to the cause of returning children, and expressed gratitude for the recommendations they had prepared.
Mariana Betsa also participated in a panel discussion held as part of the screening of the film "After the Rain: Putin's Stolen Children Come Home" by British director Sarah McCarthy, during which she once again stressed the importance of ensuring accountability for the crime of deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children, which has become a deliberate state policy of Russia.
Separately, Mariana Betsa held meetings with US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Riley Barnes, Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on Children of Ukraine Thordis Gylfadottir, EU Special Representative for Human Rights Kaija Ollongren, Managing Director for Global Affairs and Communications Olivier Bailly, and Members of the European Parliament who are members of the informal Friends of European Ukraine Group. During the meetings, the parties discussed further coordination of international efforts for the return of children, support for affected families, sanctions pressure on Russia, and mechanisms for holding perpetrators accountable.
During the meeting with the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the human rights situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea and Russia's persecution of Crimean Tatars were also raised.
Mariana Betsa thanked the partners for their solidarity with Ukraine and emphasised that the return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia, as well as the broader cessation of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Russian Federation, remain among the key humanitarian priorities of Ukrainian diplomacy.
During a meeting with representatives of the Ukrainian community in Belgium, participants discussed current issues related to supporting Ukrainians abroad, engagement with the Ukrainian community, and the key challenges facing Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian aggression.