Common task of EU countries is to return home all Ukrainian children deported by Russia – Kondratiuk

KYIV. March 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The common task of the European Union countries is to return home all Ukrainian children illegally deported by the Russian Federation, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Olena Kondratiuk has said.

“This is our common task (to return Ukrainian children to their homeland) together with all the countries of the EU and the democratic world. In particular, we discussed the need for the Slovak Parliament to officially condemn the abduction of Ukrainian children,” Kondratiuk said after meeting with a delegation of deputies of the National Council of the Slovak Republic headed by Monika Kozelova in Kyiv.

According to the press service of the Verkhovna Rada office, Kondratiuk said that according to the latest verified data of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, Russia abducted and took 16,226 children from Ukraine to Russia, “which is a direct sign of genocide.”

She noted that Ukrainian children in Russia are “forcibly adopted, forced to give up their Ukrainian identity.” The Deputy Speaker stressed that it is very important for the deputies of both parliaments that all Ukrainian children be returned home from Russian captivity.

Kondratiuk also said that Kozelova brought to Ukraine a hand-painted painting The Little Prince dedicated to Ukrainian children.

“We talked about the fact that all Ukrainian children abducted by Russia wear a blue-yellow chevron in their hearts like the Little Prince in this picture,” Kondratiuk said.

The parties also discussed the creation of an international special tribunal for the crime of aggression of Russia and the payment of reparations to Ukraine.