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Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US senators introduce bipartisan resolution demanding return of abducted Ukrainian children
Washington, D.C. — In a rare display of bipartisan unity, a group of U.S. senators has introduced a resolution calling for the return of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, urging that no peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine be finalized until all minors are safely repatriated. The resolution condemns what it describes as Russia's systematic abduction, forced transfer, and illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. It states that "Russia's abduction and Russification of Ukrainian children demonstrate Russia's intent to erase the Ukrainian nation and identity." The effort is being led by a group of six senators, including Republicans Charles E. Grassley, Roger Wicker, Joni Ernst, and Rick Scott, and Democrats Amy Klobuchar, Dick Durbin and John Fetterman. The resolution underscores that the invasion of Ukraine has increased the vulnerability of children to multiple threats, noting that the "invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation has significantly increased the risks of children being exposed to human trafficking and exploitation, child labor, sexual violence, hunger, injury, trauma, deprivation of education and shelter, and death." According to Ukrainian authorities, as of April 16, more than 19,500 children have been confirmed as unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred to Russia, Belarus, or areas of Ukraine under Russian occupation. So far, only 1,274 have been returned to Ukrainian-controlled territories. Read also: Because of Russia, my child understood fear early The resolution frames the abduction of children as a violation of international humanitarian law and the Genocide Convention, citing Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Article II(e) of the Genocide Convention, which prohibits the forcible transfer of children from one group to another. The U.S. State Department's 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report has also documented Russia's recruitment of child soldiers and described the country as a global epicenter for state-sponsored human trafficking. Razom for Ukraine, a U.S.-based nonprofit supporting Ukraine, has endorsed the resolution. The organization stated, "This is an important step in President Donald Trump's March 19 promise to ensure Ukrainian children abducted by Russia are returned to their families. By kidnapping over 19,546 children from Ukraine, Russia is simultaneously erasing these children's identities as Ukrainians while holding them hostage. The United States must say clearly that children are not bargaining chips and must be returned immediately." Ambassador John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said that "Ukraine's kidnapped kids are counting on Congress and President Trump to insist that Moscow free them. Full stop." "According to available data, Russia has abducted more than 19,400 Ukrainian children since 2022 — an outrageous crime. Freeing Ukraine's children should be a prerequisite to any negotiations, and I thank President Trump for expressing his desire to help free Ukraine's children." Mykola Kuleba, CEO and founder of Save Ukraine and former ombudsman for children in Ukraine, emphasized the urgency of returning the children. "As a nonprofit leader working to rescue and reunite these children with their families, I'm grateful for every voice raised on their behalf. We deeply appreciate leaders urging action to ensure that these children are safely returned with urgency," he said. The resolution also references earlier remarks by former President Donald Trump, who has claimed he could persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to release the abducted children. "President Trump help make sure those children were returned home," said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and then-National Security Advisor Mike Waltz at the time. In 2022, Putin signed a decree that made it easier for Russian families to adopt Ukrainian children. The Russian government revised its adoption laws to fast-track the placement of abducted children with Russian families, often after stripping them of their names, language, and national identity. The State Department's Conflict Observatory reports that at least 35,000 children have been affected by these forced transfers. Researchers say the data is vital to Ukraine's ongoing efforts to locate and repatriate abducted children. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for their roles in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. The United States has also sanctioned at least 32 individuals and three Russian entities for their involvement in these abductions and related human rights violations. The bipartisan resolution signals that both Republican and Democratic lawmakers are united in condemning Russia's actions and in demanding the immediate return of Ukraine's children. Read also: As Russia trains abducted children for war, Ukraine fights uphill battle to bring them home We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
New York Times
14-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Senate Passes Bill to Make Penalties Permanent for Fentanyl-Related Drugs
The Senate on Friday approved legislation that would make permanent strict controls and harsh criminal penalties on fentanyl-related drugs. Several Democrats joined all Republicans in approving the bill, which because of minor changes now must pass the House again before it goes to President Trump's desk. The bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 84 to 16, is just the second legislative victory for the new G.O.P.-controlled Congress. It would permanently list fentanyl analogues — copycat drugs that are chemically similar to fentanyl but different enough to sidestep current federal laws — as Schedule I controlled substances, a designation that mandates severe prison sentences for highly addictive, nonmedicinal chemicals like heroin and L.S.D. Fentanyl-related drugs have been temporarily classified as Schedule I since 2018, but the designation was set to expire at the end of March. The House voted 312 to 108 last month to send the bill making the designation permanent to the Senate, with 98 Democrats joining nearly all Republicans. Similarly broad approval of the revised bill is expected when it votes again on the Senate changes. 'No longer do drug enforcement agencies need to play this game of Whac-a-Mole every time a cartel comes up with a new fentanyl knockoff,' Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, said in a floor speech before the vote. 'It's a nightmare for law enforcement. So no longer will Congress be kicking the can down the road with temporary extensions.' The bipartisan vote reflected agreement among Republicans and a solid bloc of Democrats that stiffening penalties for fentanyl-related drugs is a necessary component of the continued federal response to the nation's overdose crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were roughly 76,000 synthetic opioid overdose deaths in 2023, with fentanyl being a main culprit. Notably, the country saw a remarkable decline in overdose deaths in 2023, although policymakers and treatment experts say drug-related deaths are still alarmingly high. As they did on the 2024 campaign trail, Republicans have used illicit fentanyl trafficking as a justification for cracking down on immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota and the majority leader, said in a floor speech Tuesday before a procedural vote on the bill that 'getting this crisis under control requires targeting that flow of drugs. That starts, of course, with securing our southern border so the cartels can't hide behind a flood of illegal immigration.' Mr. Thune added that permanently classifying copycat fentanyl drugs as 'the most deadly type of drug' would give law enforcement agencies 'the greatest flexibility to combat the scourge of fentanyl and hold accountable those who trade in destroying lives.' 'I understand some of the reservations about it,' said Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, who was one of 31 Democrats who voted to support the measure. He described fentanyl as a 'public health menace' that Americans expect their lawmakers to help fight. 'I just think that we're at a precipice of losing a generation." The 16 'no' votes came primarily from members who have advocated for overhauls of the criminal justice system and in the past have voted against measures that could increase incarceration rates, such as Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. Many Democrats, along with public health and civil rights groups, note that harsh sentences for fentanyl-related drugs have driven up incarceration rates and disproportionately affected people of color. Critics of the measure argue that further criminalizing such drugs will only worsen the crisis and have called for a public health response that includes better public education, more addiction treatment and recovery services, as well as overdose prevention. 'Families are asking us to do something about the fentanyl crisis, and rather than do that, we are simply enabling a political stunt at the expense of real solutions,' Senator Ed Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, said in a statement. He argued that the measure represented 'outdated war-on-drugs solutions that do not work' and ultimately voted against the bill. Currently under Schedule I, a person caught trafficking 10 grams of a fentanyl analogue would receive a minimum prison sentence of five years, while a person carrying 100 grams would receive a minimum sentence of 10 years. The legislation approved Friday would end up lowering those thresholds further, according to experts, because of the way it defines a 'fentanyl-related substance.' Under the new bill, even a trace amount of fentanyl analogue appearing in a 10-gram sample would trigger the five-year mandatory minimum sentence. The legislation makes exceptions for drugs already listed elsewhere — such as fentanyl itself, which, as an ingredient in various federally approved medicines, appears on Schedule II — and for institutions researching fentanyl analogues for potential beneficial use. But Democrats have previously raised concerns that the bill contains no instructions for delisting fentanyl-related drugs later found to be beneficial, or reducing or vacating the sentences of people convicted of related offenses. A version of the bill passed the Republican-controlled House in 2023 with support from Democrats, but it stalled and later died in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
