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Russia Tried to Include Abducted Ukrainian Children in POW Exchanges, Ukrainian FM Says
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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia had proposed adding abducted Ukrainian children to prisoner-of-war exchange lists, a move Kyiv rejected as unacceptable, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on May 11.
Speaking at a high-level coalition meeting in Brussels, Sybiha stated that the return of Ukrainian children must remain a fundamental element of any peace process.
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“Today I want to state this officially: the fate of Ukrainian children will never become part of any compromise. Russia has already proposed including children in exchange lists. But this is unacceptable. Children’s freedom is unconditional,” Sybiha declared.
The meeting brought together representatives from 63 countries, along with senior European Union and NATO officials, to coordinate international efforts to return Ukrainian children deported or forcibly transferred by Russia.
Ukraine has documented more than 20,570 cases of children deported or forcibly displaced by Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion. Kyiv estimates that more than 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain under Russian control, while 2,129 have been returned.
Sybiha said Russia fears the issue of abducted Ukrainian children more than any other item on the diplomatic agenda because it directly exposes Moscow’s responsibility for forcible deportations.
Russia’s proposal to fold abducted children into prisoner exchange lists came as Ukrainian officials continue to press for stronger international pressure on those involved in the deportation system.
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Sybiha called for expanded sanctions against Russian officials, institutions, and intermediaries involved in the deportation, forced assimilation, and illegal adoption of Ukrainian children.
He also urged partners to support legal accountability efforts linked to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
The Brussels gathering is the latest in a steady push by Kyiv and its partners to keep Russia's crimes against Ukrainian children in constant international focus, with diplomatic, legislative, and public campaigns running in parallel across allied capitals.
In Washington, 20,000 teddy bears were installed on the National Mall near the US Congress to represent Ukrainian children abducted by Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Ukraine's Ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna, reported that each bear symbolized one missing child whose return remains a priority for Kyiv and its partners.
The demonstration also followed a US State Department assistance package aimed at identifying, returning, and rehabilitating forcibly relocated Ukrainian children. The program was developed with Congress to support diplomatic efforts, document cases, and provide care for children who have already been brought home.
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