The U
S. Senate Insists: Return Ukrainian Children Deported by Russia Before Signing Any Peace Agreement In the United States, calls for holding Russia politically responsible for gross violations of Ukrainian children's rights are growing louder. A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a comprehensive resolution that holds Moscow accountable for the need to return all Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia before any peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine is signed. Sources familiar with the text of the resolution, as well as official authorities, have confirmed the initiative. Leading this bipartisan effort are Senators Chuck Grassley from the Republican Party and Amy Klobuchar from the Democratic Party. They are joined by colleagues from both sides of the political spectrum—including Ronald Viker, Joni Ernst, and Rick Scott (Republicans), as well as Dick Durbin and Jon Fetterman (Democrats). They unanimously voice their protest and call for urgent action to protect Ukrainian children. The resolution states that the kidnapping and Russification of Ukrainian children are clear signs of the Kremlin regime’s intent to eradicate Ukrainian identity and break the nation’s future. "Changing identity through deportation and propaganda is not just a war crime but a deliberate and cynical plan to destroy Ukrainian culture and traditions," the document reads. Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, agrees and emphasizes: “The return of illegally deported Ukrainian children is a necessary condition for ending the war.” Senator Grassley, in his speech, highlights that the scale of Russia’s invasion and its accompanying shocks are the most difficult challenge in Europe since World War II. “Putin has come onto our land with the aim of destroying Ukrainian identity—kidnapping thousands of children to brainwash them and break their culture. We are obligated to fight for the return of each child, and this must become a priority in any diplomatic and political processes,” he says. This resolution marks the first public, personal document in the U.S. Senate since Donald Trump returned to the foreign policy scene, amidst the U.S. government’s reassessment of approaches to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Furthermore, it opens a new chapter in diplomatic discussions about Ukraine’s future, emphasizing that the deportation of children is not only a war crime but also an attempt to destroy the Ukrainian people from within. “We cannot remain indifferent,” emphasizes Andriy Yermak. “Child abduction is not just an act of violence but a cynical attempt to erase the national identity of our people. Returning each child is our moral obligation and a necessary condition to end this war.” He adds that without the return of Ukrainian children, just and lasting peace will not be possible. The background of this humanitarian and political drama is quite significant. According to Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, following the start of the large-scale invasion, the number of Ukrainian children illegally taken to Russia has reached approximately 150,000. Discussions about such a large-scale deportation began as early as the start of 2023, and Irina Vereshchuk, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, reported that Russian occupying forces are changing names, forcibly rewriting biographies, and even altering birth dates of Ukrainian children to make them “acceptable” under Russian control. Daria Herasimchuk, the Ukrainian Children’s Rights Commissioner, states that the occupiers are implementing several scenarios for moving Ukrainian children—ranging from removal from their families to harmful medical diagnoses and even violent killings of parents. In March of this year, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Bolova, Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner, accusing them of deporting Ukrainian children and trying to destroy the Ukrainian population as such. Investigations and diplomatic steps are ongoing, but the legal and moral groundwork for condemning Russia’s actions in this sphere has already been laid. Ukraine and the global community are striving to restore fractured lives and hold those responsible accountable for this crime against humanity. However, whether U.S. political forces can convincingly convey this position and compel the international community to act remains an open question. In a time when victory and diplomatic compromises are among the main goals of global politics, Ukrainian children, kidnapped through the cynicism of Russian aggression, deserve their chance to return and heal.