Russia attempted to include abducted Ukrainian children on the exchange lists

Ukraine has categorically rejected Russia’s proposals to include deported children in prisoner exchange lists alongside prisoners of war. The fate of minors cannot be subject to compromise, and their freedom is non-negotiable. 

This was reported by Ukrinform, citing a statement by Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga during a meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children on Monday in Brussels.

Foreign Minister Sybiha emphasized that Russia seeks to remove the issue of returning children from the international agenda out of fear of justice. Currently, the deportation of over 20,000 children has been confirmed, and in total, more than 1.5 million Ukrainian minors are under the Kremlin’s control. The occupiers are militarizing young people and turning them against their own homeland.

Russian authorities had previously proposed including children living in territories under their control on exchange lists. Sibiga stressed that such speculation is unacceptable, as the abduction of children is a crime under international law. Ukraine continues to work within the International Coalition to return all forcibly displaced citizens.

Panama, Switzerland, and Cyprus have officially joined the international coalition to rescue deported minors. The coalition now comprises 46 countries and three international organizations, underscoring the global attention to Russia’s crimes. 

The EU has expanded sanctions against Russia for the abduction of Ukrainian children.