Latest news with #MariaLvova-Belova
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
European Parliament passes resolution demanding return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia
The European Parliament on May 8 overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning Russia's forcible deportation and Russification of Ukrainian children, calling it a "genocidal strategy" aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity and demanding the unconditional return of all abducted minors, it said in a press release. The resolution passed with 516 votes in favor, three against, and 34 abstentions. Lawmakers urged the EU and its member states to step up efforts to hold Moscow accountable through international courts and support for Ukraine's campaign to bring its children home. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has identified over 19,500 children who were illegally transferred to Russia, Belarus, or Russian-occupied territories. Fewer than 1,300 have been returned. The European Parliament condemned the illegal adoptions, militarization, and forced Russification of Ukrainian children. Many of those taken are placed in Russian foster homes, enrolled in military training camps, and subjected to intense propaganda. Children who have returned report being punished for speaking Ukrainian and being told their country no longer wants them. 'Russia must report the identities and whereabouts of all deported Ukrainian children and ensure their well-being and safe and unconditional return,' lawmakers said, calling on Russia to allow international humanitarian agencies, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and UNICEF, access to all affected children. The resolution calls on EU institutions and member states to join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, and to continue supporting Ukraine's efforts to document and trace abducted minors. It also reiterates that any future peace deal with Russia must include the children's repatriation and full accountability for war crimes. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova in connection with the abductions. According to the Yale School of Public Health, Russia is conducting a 'systematic, intentional, and widespread' campaign of forced adoption and Russification. Many children are enrolled in organizations like Yunarmiya, or the 'Young Army,' which trains minors in military skills and indoctrinates them with loyalty to the Kremlin. Russia has also expanded its Warrior Center network, designed to prepare youth for military service. Previously, there was one center in each occupied region except for Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Recently, however, Russia opened a new center in Mariupol, the second in the occupied Donetsk Oblast. 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.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Austrian parliament adopts resolution demanding return of abducted Ukrainian children
The Austrian Parliament has passed a resolution calling for stronger efforts to secure the return of Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia, and for those responsible to face justice under international law. Source: Ukrinform, as reported by European Pravda Details: The resolution urges the Austrian government to continue advocating at all levels for the protection and support of Ukrainian children in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In addition, the federal minister for European and international affairs is instructed to continue advocating for the return of deported children and to actively support the prosecution of such crimes in line with international criminal law. The resolution was jointly submitted by four out of the five parties in the National Council – the Austrian People's Party, the Social Democratic Party of Austria, the Greens and NEOS. Although the far-right and pro-Russian Freedom Party of Austria was not among the co-authors of the resolution, it ultimately also voted in favour of it. Background: In March 2023, the Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian ruler Vladimir Putin. Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, was also targeted with a warrant and is accused of war crimes related to the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children. At the end of March, Scottish MP Joanna Baxter formally proposed that 17 July be designated as a day of remembrance for Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
ECHR examines case on illegal adoption of Ukrainian children from Crimea by Russians
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has officially begun examining a case concerning Russia's unlawful adoption of Ukrainian children taken from Crimea following the occupation of the peninsula in 2014. Source: Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Details: According to the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, the case concerns 10 children aged between one and five who were under state guardianship in specialised institutions at the time of the occupation of Crimea. After seizing the peninsula, the Russian authorities refused to bring the children back to Ukraine, failed to inform about their whereabouts and later the profiles of these children appeared on Russian adoption websites. Human rights activists noted that information about some of the children had disappeared from public sources, which may indicate that they have been adopted by Russian citizens. The Russian authorities declared over 4,000 Ukrainian children from Crimea who lacked parental care as Russian citizens in 2014. Quote: "The application to the Court is based on several articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to respect for private life, liberty, and personal security. The arbitrary change of citizenship and subsequent adoptions are seen as actions that stripped the children of their Ukrainian social identity. Additionally, their continued placement in institutions under Russian control is considered a violation of their rights." Details: The ECHR notified the Russian government of case No. 6719/23 and requested official comments, which must be submitted by 31 July 2025. Background: During a speech at the UN Security Council in December 2024, Dariia Zarivna, Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President, reported that Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian Commissioner for Children's Rights, had boasted about having "resettled" over 700,000 Ukrainian children in Russia. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US funding for abducted Ukrainian children program restored temporarily, White House still terminating initiative
The U.S. State Department announced on March 27 that it would provide short-term funding to an initiative documenting Ukrainian children abducted by Russia after White House terminated the program, Reuters reported. The program, run by Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab under the State Department's Conflict Observatory, used biometric data and satellite imagery to track Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children. At least 19,500 Ukrainian children have been confirmed as abducted by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion, with only about 1,200 returned, according to Ukraine's Children of War database. Yale's research — funded by the U.S. government — has helped track thousands of these cases. Researchers reportedly lost access to the database last month after officials terminated the contract, cutting off critical evidence for war crimes investigations. A State Department spokesperson said the short-term funding would allow program implementers to ensure that essential data on abducted children is properly transferred to the relevant authorities. "It is part of the standard close-out procedures for terminated programs," the spokesperson said. The comments come amid U.S. President Donald Trump administration's efforts to cut various agencies and initiatives, including foreign aid, calling it "waste, fraud, and abuse." The multiple cuts to foreign funding have begun to affect international efforts to hold Russia accountable, including for war crimes committed in Ukraine. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova and Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 17, 2023, for the deportation of Ukrainian children. As part of ongoing U.S.-Russia negotiations, U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Walz said that returning kidnapped Ukrainian children is among several "confidence-building measures" being discussed. Ukrainian officials have named their return as a key condition for any future peace agreement with Russia. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russia Today
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
US shuts down project probing Russia's alleged ‘kidnapping' of Ukrainian children
The US government has terminated funding for a Yale University project investigating alleged Russian abductions of Ukrainian children, several media outlets reported this week, citing sources. Ukrainian and Western officials have repeatedly accused Moscow of 'kidnapping' Ukrainian minors. International Criminal Court arrest warrants are issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over alleged 'unlawful deportations.' Russia, however, has dismissed the claims as politically motivated, explaining that it evacuates children from the conflict zone to protect them. According to iPaper and The New Republic, the now terminated contract funded the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), which was tasked with identifying and tracking Ukrainian minors allegedly taken to Russia. The project reportedly shared its findings with the Ukrainian authorities and Europol in an effort to repatriate the children. However, funding for the project was reportedly cut on orders from the newly established US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk. DOGE has been helping implement President Donald Trump's initiative to curb wasteful government spending, bureaucracy, and corruption. A Yale spokesperson confirmed the funding cut, telling the media that HRL researchers were 'notified recently that government funding for their work on the war in Ukraine has been discontinued.' He added that Yale was 'not in a position' to comment on the development. The White House, State Department, and DOGE all did not respond to media requests for comment. The reports came amid renewed accusations from Kiev, made by Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN, Yury Vitrenko, at an OSCE meeting on Thursday that Russia has 'illegally placed' over 19,000 Ukrainian children in its territory and was 'forcibly' Russifying them. Vitrenko said that 1,227 displaced children had been returned to Ukraine but blamed Moscow for allegedly obstructing the process. Meanwhile, the Russian authorities have regularly reported on the efforts undertaken to reunite displaced Ukrainian children with their families. Last month, Lvova-Belova announced that 17 children from 11 families had recently been reunited with relatives in Russia, while 95 more – with relatives in Ukraine and other countries under a Qatar-mediated agreement with Kiev reached last year. She has repeatedly called Kiev's claims of abductions a 'systemic myth' and pledged to continue facilitating family reunifications. Russian officials have also stressed that displaced children are not adopted in Russia but placed under temporary guardianship or foster care until they can be returned to their families.
