Olena Zelenska speaking at a PACE meeting: Our children are the future of the whole world, we need to rescue them from Russian captivity as soon as possible

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska spoke at a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe dedicated to Ukrainian children. The debate under the urgent procedure on the "Situation of Children in Ukraine" took place today on the sidelines of the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

Olena Zelenska joined the event online at the invitation of PACE President Tiny Kox.

Special emphasis was placed on the situation of Ukrainian children who were forcibly deported by Russia.

The First Lady noted that this is the second PACE debate on this topic (the previous event, entitled "Deportation and Forced Displacement of Ukrainian Children," was held with the participation of Olena Zelenska in April 2022).

"The biggest thing I would like to say now, a year later, is that everything is over. That everyone is finally home. But it is not so. Despite the fact that the rescue operations to free our children from Russian captivity have been ongoing all this year. So far, 388 children have been returned. In total, there are more than 19 thousand children in Russian captivity. At this rate, it will take 50 years to return them," the President's wife noted.

The First Lady told several stories of returned children. In particular, the story of Bohdan Yermokhin, an orphan from Mariupol who was turning 18 in captivity in Russia, and his captors planned to hand him a draft notice to the Russian army. After his video appeal to the President of Ukraine, the boy was returned to his homeland.

"Another guy, Serhiy from Kupyansk, learned the term “pit” in captivity. This is when the occupiers force the victim to dig a full-length hole and then sit there at gunpoint of Russians. Sometimes for up to several days. Serhiy is among the children abducted by Russia who, fortunately, have been returned this year. But his story confirms another problem with rescuing children from deportation: most often, it is possible to save those children who are older, who can report themselves, who remember the information about their friends or relatives in Ukraine. Younger children, who are helpless or intimidated, are more difficult to find and rescue," Olena Zelenska said.

She emphasized that the returned children need help with adaptation after Russian captivity:

"After they were told that they were not welcome at home, that no one needed them, we are trying to restore their sense of home and country, their faith in people in general. To do this, Ukraine has a reintegration program called Bring Kids Back UA, aimed at fulfilling President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula: point 4, "Release of all prisoners and deportees." We are trying to give these children all possible socialization – from psychological assistance, education, opportunities with new families, so that they do not feel orphaned and are surrounded by love and care."

The First Lady thanked the countries that are helping Ukraine to return the children, emphasizing the steps taken by the international community over the past year.

1. The Fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe (held on May 16-17, 2023 in Reykjavik) resulted in a number of important decisions in support of Ukraine, including the adoption of a Declaration dedicated to Ukrainian children who were illegally transferred to the territory of Russia, Belarus or the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, calling for their immediate return and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
2. All adopted documents of the Council of Europe emphasize that the repatriation of children, their rehabilitation and the creation of conditions for family reunification to preserve the identity of Ukrainian children should be a priority for the member states of the Council of Europe.
3. In addition, the Council of Europe is focused on accountability for the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, bringing to justice all those responsible for deportations and forced displacement, and ensuring justice for victims, in particular by establishing last year the Register of Damage Caused by the Russian Aggression against Ukraine, as well as a special tribunal to punish the political and military leadership of the Russian Federation for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
4. The Council of Europe Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine (November 30 – December 1, 2023, abbreviated as CGU) has started its work, which aims to enhance knowledge and understanding of the different legal frameworks on the situation, status and needs of children in Ukraine and from Ukraine living in the states-members of the Council of Europe.
5. On December 8, 2023, Kyiv hosted the first meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children illegally deported and forcibly transferred to Russia from the temporarily occupied territories of our country.
6. On December 15, 2023, the first meeting of the Special Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the situation of children in Ukraine was held, dedicated to the situation of Ukrainian children in the states-members of the Council of Europe and the situation of Ukrainian children deported or forcibly transferred to the Russian Federation, Belarus or territories temporarily occupied by Russia.

However, the First Lady of Ukraine emphasized that more decisive action is needed.

"Time is against us. The other day, the Russian dictator ordered to grant abducted Ukrainian children Russian citizenship. We need to act faster. In fact, we do not have 50 years to save children. Even a year is too long for an abducted child," the President's wife said.

Olena Zelenska called on PACE members to act faster and more cohesively.

"I urge national parliaments to join in – we must force Russia to comply with the Geneva Conventions and immediately provide comprehensive lists of names and whereabouts of all Ukrainian children who have been illegally deported. Every rescue of every child is now a special operation involving many countries and dozens of people who care. And then everything succeeds. But there are dozens of countries and millions of citizens in the world who do care. At least I think so. I believe that all the children of the world are our common children, because they are the future of the world. Meanwhile, we, the adults, are their present. Together we can do it. But only together," she summarized.

Following the debate, the participants voted unanimously to adopt the resolution and recommendations on the situation of children in Ukraine.