Summary
Ninety-one countries backed a United Nations resolution asking Russia to safely return Ukrainian children who were taken during the conflict. The U.N. believes about 20,000 children were moved to Russia or Belarus since the war began in 2022. The International Criminal Court has also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of war crimes related to these abductions.
Key Facts
- 91 countries supported a U.N. resolution for Russia to return Ukrainian children.
- 12 countries opposed the resolution, and 57 abstained from voting.
- Around 20,000 Ukrainian children reportedly moved to Russia or Belarus since February 2022.
- The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Putin on charges related to these actions.
- Ukrainian authorities have recovered 1,859 children from Russia.
- The European Parliament accuses Russia of serious human rights violations involving these children.
- Russian officials reportedly told children false stories about their parents and gave them Russian families and citizenship.
- Efforts are ongoing for a peace plan to ensure the safe return of these children.
