A Ukrainian delegation has begun its advocacy visit to the United Kingdom as part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative of the President of Ukraine. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen cooperation between the countries on the return of Ukrainian children illegally deported by Russia.
The delegation included Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa, Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office and Chief Operating Officer of Bring Kids Back UA Dariia Zarivna, and Head of the Save Ukraine NGO Mykola Kuleba.
The delegation held a public briefing for the House of Lords International Relations and Defense Committee and a private briefing for the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. They discussed Russia's crimes against Ukrainian children, including deportations, forced displacement, militarization, Russification, and obstruction of their return home.
“We have brought back 1,247 children, but at least 1.6 million remain under Russian control. If this is ignored, Russia will get a generation of Ukrainians to turn into a weapon of war against the freedom and security of Europe. We must do everything to prevent this from happening,” Dariia Zarivna noted.
Mariana Betsa called on the United Kingdom to continue advocating for children's rights, to maintain sanctions pressure on Russian perpetrators, and to help develop new mechanisms of international accountability.
The issue of bringing back deported Ukrainian children was also raised at the weekly session of the British Parliament.
“The abduction of Ukrainian children is a terrible crime, and the United Kingdom will make every effort to bring them home. This is a stark reminder that any peaceful settlement must include holding Russia accountable for its shameful actions,” said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The Ukrainian delegation also met with Lady Helena Kennedy LT KC, Director of the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute and Co-Chair of the Bring Kids Back UA Task Force. The parties discussed the expansion of mechanisms for the return of abducted Ukrainian children – from strengthening cooperation with current intermediaries to developing new tools – the role of illegally deported children in the negotiation process, and the use of frozen Russian assets in the UK for the needs of Ukraine.
During a meeting with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ukraine, the delegates also highlighted Russia's systematic violation of the rights of Ukrainian children and ways to increase international pressure to bring young Ukrainians home as swiftly as possible. The Group includes representatives from all parliamentary political forces, a wide range of whom play a direct role in shaping the UK's Ukraine policy.
Throughout all meetings, the delegation emphasized that the return of deported and forcibly displaced Ukrainian children must remain among the key issues of the international agenda, particularly in the context of future peace negotiations. It is crucial for achieving a just and sustainable peace.