A woman hugs her daughter near a residential building hit by missiles in Kiev. The UN General Assembly approved the resolution “Return of Ukrainian children” Peace and security
The resolution proposed by a number of countries, including Ukraine, was supported by 91 countries, 12 were against it, and 57 abstained. The resolution requires the Russian Federation to ensure the “immediate, safe and unconditional” return of all Ukrainian children who have been forcibly displaced or deported.
The General Assembly also called on Russia to immediately cease any further practices of forced removal, deportation, separation of children from their families and legal guardians, changes in their personal status, including through the granting of citizenship, adoption or placement in foster families, as well as practices of indoctrination. on children and armed conflict to remain actively involved in this issue.
“Imagine: you are 16 years old, going about your normal business… Suddenly soldiers with machine guns, wearing balaclavas that hide their faces, burst into your house,” said the President of the General Assembly, Annalena Burbock, opening the meeting. “They force you into a car and take you to an unknown location, and you spend months in a nightmare situation. They even changed your name.”
In telling this story of a Ukrainian child – one of thousands who Burbock said were forcibly displaced, adopted or sent to military training in the Russian Federation – she noted that many of these children may not be aware of the role played by the UN General Assembly. But they understand the responsibility she bears. “We must listen to the voices of people – especially the most vulnerable, children,” she emphasized.
According to the head of the General Assembly, international law, in particular Article 49 of the Geneva Convention, clearly prohibits the forced transfer or deportation of children from occupied territory. “What we are witnessing is not just a tragedy of individual children, but a violation of international law,” she said. Assembly before voting. – [It’s] about humanity. There can be no doubt that every child deserves to live in a home where they feel love.”
According to her, “during the aggressive war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, children are killed, injured, raped, separated from their families and deported.” “It is impossible to imagine that anyone could consider children as war trophies,” Betsa said.
Moscow’s so-called “rescue operations,” the Ukrainian representative noted, are in fact “cynical missions to exterminate Ukrainians and take away their children.” According to her, to date the Russian Federation has deported at least 20 thousand Ukrainian children. Although some were returned, the fate of many is unknown.
Recalling that the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimr Putin and other officials on charges of involvement in these crimes, she stressed that the occupying power bears full responsibility for the return of Ukrainian children. “No child should be separated from his family,” said the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, calling on the General Assembly to stand up for Ukrainian children.
RF: the purpose of the resolution is to “promote the narrative of alleged deportations carried out by Russia”
Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Maria Zabolotskaya, speaking before the vote, noted that the special session should not have resumed its work, since its purpose contradicts the goals and principles of the UN as laid down in its Charter, and is to “disrupt the achievement of a long-term peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.”
“The purpose of this text [of the resolution] is certainly not to help children,” she said. “Its goal is to promote a narrative about the alleged deportation of children by Russia. For several years now we have been hearing the figure of 20 thousand allegedly deported children. This figure does not change, it is not supported by any lists, any requests from parents or relatives. We have never seen relatives of children allegedly deported to Russia.”
She recalled that the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Holy See and the State of Qatar act as mediators in this matter, and the Russian leadership also supported the initiative of US First Lady Melania Trump to take part in the fate of children injured during the war action.
“You won’t learn from the resolution that the reunification of children is a “two-way street,” said the Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia. “122 children returned to Ukraine and 29 children returned to Russia.”
In June of this year in Istanbul, Ukraine handed over to Russia a list of 339 names. Some of those listed in it turned out to be adults, and some had never been to Russia, the speaker added.
Zabolotskaya also denied data on violations by Russia of international humanitarian law and the forced adoption of Ukrainian children.
At the end of her speech, the representative of the Russian Federation stated that “every vote, cast for the resolution is support for lies, war and confrontation, every vote “against” is a vote for peace.”