European Commission representative: Return of deported Ukrainian children requires systematic approach

Anne Calteux, Head of the European Commission’s Delegation in Luxembourg, told a Ukrinform correspondent on the sidelines of a panel discussion on this topic held at the European Parliament building.

She said that what was happening at the moment was a very fragmented approach to the problem, with efforts coming from individual member states, countries outside the European Union, as well as various non-governmental organizations, and that, as a result, the process was moving rather slowly.

According to the European Commission representative, it is necessary to develop a system by bringing together all key players on this issue. Specifically, an international coalition led by Ukraine and Canada, as well as everyone working to free the children, including the Vatican.

Calteux explained that the Vatican was also an important participant, adding that they had partners as well as the International Criminal Court and the Council of Europe, which had its own representative and was very active. She said that it was therefore necessary to bring all these actors together, combine their strengths, and work jointly toward a system for searching for and tracking these children, emphasizing that the approach had to be truly systematic.

It must be acknowledged, she noted, that the reason for the slow progress is that the 27 member states create a “fragmented reality within the EU itself.”

Also, according to the European Commission representative, we need to address the consequences separately when it comes to the reintegration of returned children, specifically regarding psychological support. And the issue of justice must be addressed separately.

Calteux added that those children would also need access to justice and, of course, that Russia would have to be held accountable, stressing that all those efforts had to be part of humanitarian support for Ukraine, alongside military, financial, and political assistance.

As reported by Ukrinform, a panel discussion was held at the European Parliament building in Luxembourg dedicated to one of the most egregious humanitarian crimes committed by the Russian Federation in the war against our country—the abduction of Ukrainian children.