On the illegal deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation

B100255/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the illegal deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation

(2025/2691(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to its previous resolutions on Ukraine and Russia,

having regard to the UN Charter, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the UN Convention on the rights of the child, and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,

having regard to Rule 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas as of February 2022, over 19.546 Ukrainian children have been illegally deported to the Russian Federation and Belarus or retained in Russian-occupied territories, with only 1293 returned and 624 confirmed dead, according to the Ukrainian “Children of War” portal and “Bring Kids Back UA” initiative;

whereas these actions constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law and may amount to genocide under Article II of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide;

whereas on 17 March 2023 the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova in connection with alleged war crimes of unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia;

Strongly condemns the Russian Federation’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and its systemic, deliberate policy of forcibly transferring Ukrainian children;

Deplores the systematic abduction of Ukrainian children and their forced adoption by Russian citizens; stresses that these acts form part of a genocidal strategy to erase Ukrainian identity and replenish Russia’s military ranks by raising these children to fight against their own country;

Decries the Russian Presidential decrees of 25 and 30 May 2022, which legalise the adoption of Ukrainian children during wartime, in violation of international law; deplores the fast-tracking of Russian citizenship for these forcibly deported children and denounces the state-sponsored incentives encouraging their adoption by Russian families as part of a deliberate policy of enforced assimilation;

Condemns the so-called “filtration” practices imposed by the Russian Federation, which subject Ukrainian civilians, including children, to inhumane treatment, invasive searches, psychological abuse, and risk of torture and sexual violence; stresses that these actions constitute serious violations of international law; calls on the Russian Federation to immediately end these practices and comply with its international obligations;

Calls on the Russian Federation to immediately cease all forced deportations, provide verifiable data on the whereabouts and well-being of all abducted children, and facilitate their unconditional return to Ukraine;

Urges the international community to reinforce coordination through the ICC, the ICJ, and the future Special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine to hold Russian perpetrators accountable;

Insists that the repatriation and reunification of these children with their families or legal guardians must be unconditional and prioritised in any future peace negotiations;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the Council, the Commission, the relevant international organisations, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, as well as of Ukraine.