EU Council President Supports Initiative to Return Abducted Ukrainian Children

President of the European Council António Costa has voiced strong support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, calling for the immediate return of Ukrainian children illegally taken by Russia, The Gaze reports.

In a post on X, Costa underscored the human cost of the war, drawing attention to the thousands of children still separated from their families due to Russia’s actions.

“This Easter, as we come together with loved ones, thousands of Ukrainian children remain separated from theirs—taken from their homes by Russia.”

“There can be no peace without justice—and no justice until all children are at home,” Costa added.

The Bring Kids Back UA initiative, launched by President Zelenskyy, brings together Ukrainian government agencies, international partners, and global organizations in a coordinated action plan to halt Russia’s genocidal practices and prevent future tragedies.

The deportation and forced relocation of Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories has been a major concern since 2014, escalating drastically after the full-scale invasion in 2022. According to official reports, more than 19,500 cases of unlawful deportations and forced transfers of children have been documented.

As The Gaze previously reported, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has officially begun reviewing a case concerning the adoption of Ukrainian children by Russian citizens in Crimea, a region under temporary Russian occupation since 2014, The Gaze reports citing Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

Additionally, on 9 April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe supported a resolution to hold the Russian Federation accountable for its aggression against Ukraine, with 100 votes cast in favor of the document.