On 11 May 2026, in Brussels, Belgium, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže participated in a high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, organised in Brussels by the European Commission in cooperation with Canada and Ukraine. The meeting focused on future joint efforts by national and international institutions to return Ukrainian children who have been illegally deported and forcibly transferred by Russia back to Ukraine.
“Today we are focusing on the 1.6 million children who are under direct Russian control. Russia’s forced transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children constitutes genocide, i.e., the forcible transfer of children from one group to another with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group is one of the elements of genocide under the UN Genocide Convention. Russia is intensifying the temporary transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to involve them in indoctrination summer programmes in the occupied territories and in Russia. Only collective action can stop Russia’s atrocities and ensure the return of Ukrainian children”, Baiba Braže emphasised at the meeting.
At the meeting, ministers discussed progress made in several key areas related to support for illegally deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. Discussions covered expanding the organised process of returning children to Ukraine, strengthening diplomatic efforts, ensuring the reintegration and rehabilitation of children, holding Russia accountable, and tightening sanctions against responsible Russian individuals and entities. Prior to this, the EU Foreign Affairs Council decided to include 16 individuals and 7 legal entities linked to the unlawful deportation, forced adoption, and re-education of Ukrainian children in Russia under the sanctions regime.
The Minister also informed about Latvia’s commitment to support measures aimed at returning Ukrainian children to Ukraine, documenting Russia’s crimes, and ensuring international accountability:
“Last week, the Latvian government decided to support the organisation ‘Save Ukraine’ in its child rescue operations, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine to document Russia’s violations, and the UN International Court of Justice Fund to strengthen international law and accountability mechanisms.”
The International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was established in Kyiv in February 2024 and is led by Ukraine and Canada. It brings together 49 countries, including Latvia, and international organisations, and serves as a platform for coordinating diplomatic, humanitarian, legal, and informational efforts among countries working with Ukraine to help return Ukrainian children to Ukraine.
According to data from the Ukrainian government’s Children of War portal, since 24 February 2022, Russia has deported or forcibly transferred more than 20 000 Ukrainian children to Russia or to temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. So far, 2133 children have been returned. Approximately 1.6 million Ukrainian children still remain under Russian control, including in temporarily occupied territories (data as of 11 May 2026).
