Coalition meets to return Ukrainian children

MANILA — Diplomats from Canada, Ukraine, and the European Union urged wider international support for efforts to return Ukrainian children taken to Russia or Russian-controlled territory, ahead of a high-level coalition meeting in Brussels on May 11, 2026.

The appeal was made by David Hartman, ambassador of Canada to the Philippines; Yuliia Fediv, ambassador of Ukraine to the Philippines; and Massimo Santoro, ambassador of the European Union to the Philippines.

“Every child has the right to live safely at home,” the envoys said in a joint statement.

They said children’s rights must remain a foremost responsibility “in times of conflict, and in times of peace.”

The statement said every child has the right to safety, family, education, and a future free from fear, regardless of nationality, politics, or geography.

The envoys said the deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children did not begin with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

They said the practice began after Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014, with evidence emerging by 2015 that Ukrainian children were being taken from non-government-controlled areas of Ukraine and moved across borders or deeper into Russian-controlled areas.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice has officially confirmed more than 20,000 cases of deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia or temporarily Russian-controlled territory, according to the statement.

The envoys said the removals caused displacement, family separation, loss of community, and attacks on children’s identity, language, and connection to home.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on March 17, 2023, for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights, over alleged war crimes involving the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.

Russia has denied abducting Ukrainian children and has said evacuations were voluntary or carried out for safety, according to Reuters.

The joint statement said Ukrainian authorities and civil society organizations face major challenges in tracing where children have been taken.

It said Russia has not provided comprehensive information on the number of deported or transferred children or their locations, making identification and return efforts extremely difficult.

Even when children are located, the envoys said bringing them home can be a long and complex process.

“No country facing such a challenge could address it alone. And no child should have to wait for the world to act,” the statement said.

The envoys cited the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2023, as Ukraine’s national framework for returning children, supporting recovery and reintegration, and pursuing accountability.

They also cited the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, launched by Ukraine and Canada in February 2024, as the international platform for mobilizing support.

The coalition now has 49 members, including states and international organizations.

The EU joined the coalition in September 2025.

As co-chairs, Ukraine and Canada have worked to expand international participation, keep the issue on the global agenda, and encourage practical support for tracing, safe return, rehabilitation, reintegration, and accountability.

The statement said the coalition’s leadership reflects a conviction that “children must never be used as instruments of war.”

Through sustained diplomatic, humanitarian, legal, and international cooperation efforts, more than 2,130 Ukrainian children have been returned and supported through rehabilitation and reintegration programs, according to the statement.

The envoys said many more children remain under Russian control, either deported or trapped in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

They called on countries to engage with the coalition as members or observers.

The statement said countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East have valuable experience in peacebuilding, reconciliation, post-conflict child protection, and reintegration programs.

The envoys said the coalition is also a platform for exchanging lessons on family tracing, return, psychological rehabilitation, and preservation of children’s cultural identity after displacement.

The next High-Level Meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children will be co-hosted by the EU, Ukraine, and Canada in Brussels on May 11, 2026.

The meeting will review progress and identify further practical steps to help return children to their families and communities.

The envoys said protecting children must remain above geopolitical divides and should be treated as a shared humanitarian imperative grounded in international law.

“By working together, across regions, cultures, and political perspectives, we can restore childhoods disrupted by conflict and strengthen the global framework that protects children everywhere. Because when it comes to the rights and dignity of children, our shared humanity must always come first,” the statement said.