The European Parliament has recognized Russia's actions against Ukrainian children as genocide

The European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution titled “Ukrainian Children Who Have Been Forcibly Deported to Russia or Who Live in Russian-Occupied Territories of Ukraine,” recognizing the Russian Federation’s actions as meeting the legal definition of genocide. The document was supported by 536 MEPs, with 8 voting against and 37 abstaining.

According to Olena Kondratiuk, Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the resolution calls on EU member states to officially recognize these crimes as genocide and broadens the focus from deported children to the 1.6 million Ukrainian children who remain in the temporarily occupied territories.

 The European Parliament demands that Russia immediately return all forcibly displaced children, annul illegal adoptions and changes in citizenship, shut down relevant onlinecatalogs, and to cease the forced Russification, militarization, and recruitment of minors into military structures. The document specifically emphasizes that the return of children cannot be the subject of political bargaining or a condition for territorial concessions during negotiations.

MEPs also called for sanctions against the entire system of involved institutions and state-owned corporations, in particular “Gazprom” and “Rosneft,” which financed the relocation and re-education of Ukrainian children, supported the warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, and called on Hungary to join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. In addition, the European Parliament welcomed the European Commission’s allocation of an additional 50 million euros (approximately 54 million U.S. dollars) for the protection and long-term rehabilitation of children in Ukraine.

Source: Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk on Facebook.

Russia is implementing a systematic policy targeting Ukrainian children in the temporarily occupied territories. This policy involves deportation, the eradication of Ukrainian identity, and the recruitment of minors into military training and the Russian Armed Forces.

Russia has begun sending Ukrainian children—whom it abducted during the full-scale war—to its army. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made this statement during a speech at a special panel on Ukraine as part of the 30th Ibero-American Summit. According to him, the occupiers may be preparing the abducted children to participate in the war against their own country.

Russia has announced preparations for a new phase of returning Ukrainian children to their families. In November, they plan to help nine children reunite with their loved ones in Ukraine with the participation of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump.

Another 14 children have been returned to territory controlled by Ukraine.

Ukraine has verified more than 20,000 cases of child deportation.