The Council of Europe, the EU and 38 countries called on Russia to return the kidnapped Ukrainian children without delay and any conditions

On August 5, the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children issued a joint statement to Russia: immediately and unconditionally return the Ukrainian children whose names were officially handed over by Ukraine during bilateral talks in Istanbul on 2 June 2025. The statement was published by the Office of the President of Ukraine in both Ukrainian and English.

Eight weeks have passed since Ukraine submitted an initial list of 339 names of unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred children as a confidence-building measure and a humanitarian gesture to encourage Russia to act in good faith. But Moscow has refused to cooperate or propose any credible mechanism for their return.

In international diplomatic practice, such measures are used to:

• make a limited but measurable move;
• test whether the other party is prepared to act in good faith;
• create the groundwork for further agreements.

“Russia’s forced deportation of almost 20,000 Ukrainian children is a blatant violation of international law. These children must be returned. We call on Russia to start with the 339 children identified by Ukraine. The EU will continue to impose sanctions against those who abduct Ukrainian children and try to erase their identity,” said Kaia Kallas, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission.

The coalition also calls on Russia:

• To provide full and verified information on the whereabouts, condition, and legal status of all children;
• To ensure unhindered access for international humanitarian organizations;
• To stop the manipulation of children’s identities, including forced change of citizenship, placement in Russian families or institutions, and their exposure to ideological influence and militarization.

“Ukrainian children abducted by Russia must be returned. Children living under Russian occupation must be released. Children living in fear of terror must be given safety, and those who were forced to flee Ukraine must be given the opportunity to return home. Russia must be held accountable for making the destruction of children’s lives its strategic policy in a war of aggression,” Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the situation of Ukrainian children, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir, said.

The unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of children are gross violations of international law, including the Geneva Conventions and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“Today’s coalition statement demonstrates that the international community is united in its demand for the return of every Ukrainian child who has been deported or forcibly displaced,” said Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. “There is no justification for these crimes, and there can be no delay in returning the children home. Every day that passes without their return is a day of continued injustice.”

The coalition’s joint statement was supported by: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the European Union (observer), Switzerland (observer) and the Council of Europe.