Ukrainian President Zelenskyy asks G20 to stand up for Ukrainian children abducted by Russian troops during war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested to the G20 leaders to demand the return of one thousand Ukrainian children personally from Russian ruler Vladimir Putin deported by Russian troops since the beginning of the war, according to The Times of India.

According to Ukraine’s estimates, Russia has deported nearly 20,000 children from occupied territories. Kyiv has returned only 800 of them. The Ukrainian authorities are seeking information about Ukrainian children through Europol, as well as European and global institutions.

When answering a journalist’s question on how India could help Ukraine with the return of the children, the Ukrainian president said that it could join the coalition on bringing the smallest Ukrainians back from Russia and Belarus, its closest ally.

“It could join the Coalition for the Return of Children and support the Peace Summit communiqué, call Putin and tell him who he really is, and make him return the children.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi can do it as he has significant influence. He could tell Putin directly, ‘Return one thousand children to me, and I will bring them back to Ukraine.’ That’s a real step. He has taken tens of thousands; let Modi return one thousand. If each influential person, like Modi, could help bring back one thousand children, we could return most of our kids,” Zelenskyy said.

According to the Ukrainian president, the issue of returning the children could be raised at the next G20 meeting.

“If 20,000 Ukrainian children have been deported, then each G20 leader could take responsibility for returning one thousand children,” Zelenskyy remarked.

He also noted that the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin for child abduction is in effect.

“The result of the ICC warrant is clear—Putin no longer travels to most countries in the world. We see it. Most leaders who have ratified the Rome Statute and thus recognize the ICC’s decisions avoid visiting Putin. This is an outcome,” Zelenskyy said.

On the other hand, Mongolia’s latest decision not to arrest Putin despite the ICC warrant has once again demonstrated that it “is not an independent country.”

In March 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin on charges of war crimes, specifically for the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine and the unlawful transfer of Ukrainians to Russia.

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