International conference on ‘Deported Ukrainian Children: European actions’
15 May 2025, Helsinki, Finland

Statement by the Chair and Vice-chair of the PACE Network on the situation of the children of Ukraine, Olena Khomenko and Miapetra Kumpula-Natri

 

The international conference “Deported Ukrainian Children: European actions” gathered in Helsinki on 15 May 2025 to address the urgent issue of the unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation during its ongoing aggression against Ukraine. This communiqué emphasizes essential aspects that must guide international responses and actions.

The deliberate policy of the Russian Federation to deport and forcibly transfer Ukrainian children constitutes a grave breach of international law and a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. These actions also bear signs of genocide under Article II(e) of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948). According to the Government of Ukraine, at least 19,546 children are reported as having been deported or forcibly transferred by the Russian Federation. The large-scale and systematic nature of these actions, carried out with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Ukrainian national group by erasing the identity of its youngest generation, must be acknowledged and prosecuted as such.

Ukrainian children are non-negotiable. There can be no just and lasting peace without the unconditional return of all deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. The safe and immediate repatriation of these children must form an integral part of any future peace agreement. Until each child is returned home, our task remains unfinished, and any proclaimed peace remains illusory.

Russian Federation must immediately and unconditionally ensure the safe return of all deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.

Urgent diplomatic and practical measures are needed to guarantee immediate, unhindered, and safe access to deported Ukrainian children by Ukrainian authorities or credible, independent third parties. States and international organisations are encouraged to actively support these efforts and to contribute to mediation initiatives facilitating this critical humanitarian task.

Ukrainian children remaining in temporarily occupied territories face the ongoing and severe risks of further deportations and forcible transfer. Furthermore, 1.6 million Ukrainian children there are subjected to systematic re-education, ideological indoctrination, and militarization by the occupying forces. This situation requires an urgent, coordinated, and principled response by European and international actors to protect these children and to prevent further violations of their rights.

Accountability for the unlawful deportation and forced transfers must encompass all entities and individuals responsible, explicitly including the authorities of the Russian Federation, Belarus, and the Union State of the Russian Federation and Belarus. The involvement of Belarusian state actors in facilitating these flagrant violations must be transparently recognized, with legal and political consequences applied to all who participate in or enable such abuses, regardless of the degree or nature of their involvement.

The role of the International Criminal Court is recognized as essential, particularly in light of the arrest warrants issued against Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova for their alleged responsibility in the deportation and forcible transfer of children. All member states are obliged under international law to cooperate fully with the Court and to support the pursuit of justice for the victims and their families.

European unity is critical in implementing comprehensive sanctions that encompass the entire chain of responsibility and in harmonizing these measures. Such sanctions regimes should explicitly include all individuals and institutions recorded by Ukrainian and partner law enforcement agencies as directly or indirectly involved in deportations, forced transfers, unlawful adoptions, illegitimate guardianships, as well as the indoctrination, re-education, and militarization of Ukrainian children. Consistent application, periodic review, and close coordination across all jurisdictions must be ensured to eliminate enforcement loopholes and prevent circumvention.

Ongoing efforts by Ukraine and the international community to secure the return of deported and forcibly transferred children — including the implementation of the “Bring Kids Back UA” initiative launched by President Zelenskyy and the work of the International Coalition of Countries for the Return of Ukrainian Children — proved as effective mechanisms for facilitating the safe return of children.

Tireless efforts by Ukrainian national institutions and non-governmental organisations have already enabled the return and reintegration of 1,307 Ukrainian children. To expand and sustain these critical operations, states and international partners are encouraged to provide continued political, logistical, and financial support, and to enhance coordination mechanisms for a more effective, child-centred response.

The role of independent research institutions and the continued work of their evidence-based reporting has been instrumental in identifying deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. To ensure the continuity of their efforts, all states and international organizations should contribute to the sustained operational capacity of such institutions.

The European community is committed to mobilizing all available legal, political, and humanitarian instruments to ensure that every stolen Ukrainian child is safely returned and that those responsible are held fully accountable. It is our collective responsibility to act decisively against these grave violations.