Ukraine’s Stolen Children Crisis Intensifies Amid NATO Discussions on Russia’s War
Ukrainian officials have confirmed that over 19,000 children have been unlawfully deported to Russia or occupied territories since the start of the Russian invasion three and a half years ago. Some reports suggest the actual number could be as high as 35,000, with many believed to have been illegally adopted. This crisis has reemerged as NATO leaders convene to discuss the ongoing conflict, with President Trump marking it as a critical issue during his recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The issue gained renewed focus after First Lady Melania Trump delivered a letter to Putin, in which she urged the restoration of children’s ‘dream of love, possibility and safety from danger.’ Although the letter did not explicitly mention the war in Ukraine, it was welcomed by Kyiv. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy surprised Trump by presenting a letter from his wife, Olena Zelenska, which Trump noted was heartfelt and focused on the plight of the children.
Efforts to return the children have been hampered by Russian refusal to directly hand them over, despite agreements on prisoner-of-war swaps. Ukrainian officials have been working with third-party mediators such as Qatar and the Vatican to secure the return of some 1,500 children. Zelenskyy has stressed the importance of a trilateral agreement involving ceasefire, prisoner exchanges, and the return of children as a fair compromise for all parties involved.