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Daily Record
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Renfrewshire MP fights for return of Ukraine's stolen children
Johanna Baxter organised the debate calling for the return of thousands of children as part of an event at Westminster Hall last week. A Westminster debate which sought to highlight the forced deportation of Ukrainian children from their homeland has been lead by a Renfrewshire MP. Johanna Baxter organised the debate calling for the return of thousands of children as part of an event at Westminster Hall last week. The Paisley Daily Express revealed last month how Ms Baxter had coauthored the report Ukraine's Stolen Children. It revealed how almost 20,000 young people have been taken from their homes and sent to Russian controlled institutions, foster care systems, or with Russian military families. Some have even been conscripted into Yunarmiya, the Russian Youth Military. The MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, which has welcomed some Ukrainian refugees, said: 'The UK must not look away from this systematic attack on Ukraine's children - an attack not just on individuals, but on identity, memory, and nationhood, an aspect of the war that has not had the attention it deserves. 'We need more pressure, more action, and more urgency. Every day that passes, another child forgets their real name. Another family loses hope. That's why we must act now.' The debate highlighted findings from the report Return the Stolen Children of Ukraine, which Ms Baxter drafted in partnership with UK Friends of Ukraine. The report presents extensive evidence of state-sponsored abduction, forced adoption, and cultural erasure of Ukrainian children. According to the report, at least 19,546 Ukrainian children have been taken by Russian forces, over 8,400 of which have been placed in so-called 're-education' camps spanning across eight time zones, where they are indoctrinated with pro-Russian narratives. At the debate Ms Baxter - who recently travelled to Ukraine as part of a delegation of British MPs - called on the UK Government to take a series of measures to support the plight of Ukrainian families. This includes demanding the publication of a full register of all Ukrainian children held by Russian authorities; establishing a framework for the safe return of all abducted children in coordination with international partners; and to expanding intelligence-sharing and child-tracking operations. Ms Baxter also called for sanctions on all individuals and institutions complicit in these crimes and for a full investigation into whether Russia's actions meet the legal definition of genocide under international law. Ms Baxter has herself been sanctioned by Russia which accused her, as well as 14 other MPs, of making 'hostile statements and unfounded accusations' about Moscow. Earlier this month the Russian ministry announced sanctions against 21 British politicians from across the political spectrum, including Blair McDougall, MP for East Renfrewshire.
Daily Record
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Renfrewshire MP sanctioned after launching report into Ukraine's stolen children
Johanna Baxter - who has witnessed first-hand the loss and devastation of Ukrainian families - says she will not stop campaigning for them after being sanctioned by Russia. A Renfrewshire MP says she will 'not be silenced' after launching a campaign to return Ukraine's stolen children. Johanna Baxter - who has witnessed first-hand the loss and devastation of Ukrainian families - says she will not stop campaigning for them after being sanctioned by Russia. The MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South was recently sanctioned by Putin's government after coauthoring the report Ukraine's Stolen Children. Created in partnership with UK Friends of Ukraine, the report reveals how almost 20,000 children have been taken from their homes and sent to Russian controlled institutions, foster care systems, or with Russian military families. Some are even conscripted into Yunarmiya, the Russian Youth Military. Ramping up efforts to see these children reunited with their heartbroken families, Ms Baxter said: 'The abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia is one of the most heart-wrenching and indefensible crimes of this war, which the world cannot ignore. 'And sanctioning me, as they just have done, the Russian Government will not silence me. These children have been torn from their homes, their families and their identities. 'Through this campaign, we are sending a clear message: the UK stands firmly with Ukraine, and we will do everything we can to reunite families and not rest until every child is returned and justice is served.' The campaign #Return The Stolen Children demands urgent action to secure the return of the children. The associated report is the first comprehensive report by a parliamentarian in three years to shine a spotlight on the mass abduction and crimes against humanity. Ms Baxter added: 'This report lays bare the scale of the horror. It serves as a reminder that our response cannot be passive. It must be loud, it must be consistent, and it must be urgent. 'We have a duty to shine a light on what is happening, to amplify the voices of those calling for justice, and to push our allies to take meaningful action. 'Let me be clear: before any ceasefire is considered, before any peace agreement is signed, every stolen Ukrainian child must be safely returned home. 'There can be no true peace - not in Ukraine, not anywhere - until that fundamental justice is delivered. Anything less would be a betrayal of those children, their families, and the very principles we claim to defend.' Backed by MPs, Peers, human rights leaders and international experts, the campaign exposes a vast and systematic effort by the Russian state to erase Ukrainian identity, by targeting its youngest citizens. It demands the UK and international governments take further punitive and preventive action against Russia. This includes expanding economic sanctions and travel bans on those officials and entities involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children, legal initiatives to recover abducted children and ensuring those responsible face justice. Ms Baxter is one of 15 MPs and six Peers to be sanctioned by Russia in recent weeks, banning them from the country over what it called 'hostile statements and unfounded accusations' about Moscow. The Russian foreign affairs ministry accused the UK of 'fabricating anti-Russian narratives' and attempting to 'demonise' the country. The ministry announced sanctions against 21 British politicians from across the political spectrum, including Blair McDougall, MP for East Renfrewshire.
