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EU to Host High-Level Summit on Russian Abduction of Ukrainian Children
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The European Union will host a high-level international summit dedicated to Ukrainian children abducted by Russian occupation authorities.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the initiative during a meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Abducted Ukrainian Children on September 23.
Von der Leyen stressed that the effort to bring children back must not stop until every child is home. She reminded that the EU has already sanctioned more than 50 individuals linked to Russia’s abduction policy, and the list will continue to grow.
Of all the horrors unleashed by Russia’s war, none cuts deeper than the abduction of children.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 23, 2025
We will not rest until Ukraine’s children are home.
The EU will host a high-level international summit to bring the world's eyes to the fate of these children. https://t.co/ZwJIjr9jbr
“We are very delighted and honored to host high-level international summit to put these chidren at the top of the global agenda,” von der Leyen said.
She also noted that the EU, together with UNICEF, will invest more than $10 million in support programs “so that when the children return, they are not only welcomed, but helped to heal, to learn and to dream again of a future.”
At the same time, First Lady Olena Zelenska has called on international partners to ensure that Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children is never dismissed as mere statistics.
Speaking at a meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children in New York, held on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly on September 23, Zelenska emphasized the scale of Russia’s crimes.
“There is a saying: one crime is a tragedy, many crimes are statistics. If one child were abducted, we would be outraged and demand justice. But what happens when an entire state, using its institutions and army, abducts not one but thousands of children? We cannot allow such crimes to become statistics. But this is exactly what Russia is doing in Ukraine,” she said.
Zelenska underscored that the abduction of Ukrainian children cannot be described as resettlement or evacuation, but rather as an act of repression. She noted that Russia is changing their identities, breaking their ties, and destroying their hopes. According to her, Ukraine cannot bring all the children back on its own, as Russia withholds information even from international organizations and ignores the Geneva Conventions.
Zelenska expressed gratitude to the United States, Canada, and other early supporters, adding that the coalition now includes 41 countries and the Council of Europe. She emphasized that these joint efforts have already made it possible to return 1,625 children.
Earlier, it was reported that Lithuania is preparing to provide rehabilitation and psychiatric care for Ukrainian children who were forcibly deported to Russia and have since been brought back to Ukraine.
