Verkhovna Rada and Presidential Initiative "Bring Kids Back UA" Establish Platform to Advocate for the Return of Ukrainian Children — Olena Kondratiuk
03 September 2026, 12:09
A series of expert briefings for MPs dedicated to deportation, forced transfer, and other russian crimes against Ukrainian children has launched in the Verkhovna Rada.
The initiative was organized jointly by Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Olena Kondratiuk and the Presidential initiative "Bring Kids Back UA."
The project goal is to establish a permanent platform through which parliamentarians will receive verified data, legal assessment, current analytics, and tailored briefing materials for engaging with international partners.
"We want to change every international contact of the Ukrainian parliamentarians into a tool for returning our children. This refers to the meetings with parliaments of our partner-countries, parliamentary friendship groups, addresses to PACE, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and other international platforms," noted Olena Kondratiuk.
The Deputy Speaker recalled that over previous years, a solid parliamentary track for this work has already been established. Resolutions condemning the deportation of Ukrainian children were adopted, in particular, by the parliaments of the USA, France, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Moldova, Baltic countries, as well as by the European Parliament and PACE. PACE recognized russian actions as bearing signs genocide.
In December 2025, the General Assembly of the UN adopted a dedicated resolution demanding that russia ensure the immediate, safe and unprecedented return of deported and forcibly displaced Ukrainian children. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for volodymyr putin and Mariia Livova-Belova on suspicion of illegally deportation and transfer Ukrainian children.
On Olena Kondratiuk's initiative, the Verkhovna Rada also amended the Ukrainian Criminal Code with dedicated provisions concerning war crimes against children.
"However, unfortunately, it is not enough to bring every child home. We need continuous international pressure and systematic advocacy system against all russian crimes against Ukrainian children. That is why we want to elevate cooperation between MPs and the Bring Kinds Back UA President initiative to a new level," emphasized the Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.
Maksym Maksymov, Head of the President initiative Bring Kids Back UA, noted that there are over 20 000 records in the National Registry regarding the possible deportation and forcibly displaced children. To date, 2,525 children have been successfully returned.
“We understand that as long as the war continues, global attention is constantly pulled in many directions, making it increasingly difficult to keep international focus on Ukraine and this crucial issue. Therefore, we are establishing a new format of engagement with parliamentarians to ensure that the return of children and support for Ukraine’s efforts remain on the agenda everywhere—whether at PACE, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, or within parliamentary friendship groups across the globe,” noted Maksym Maksymov.
The return of Ukrainian children remains an integral item across all rounds of peace negotiations, according to Oleksandr Bevz, Advisor to the Cabinet of the President. He noted that this issue is exceptionally sensitive for the russian federation.
“The number of children returned from deportation is steadily growing, but diplomatic efforts alone are insufficient, and pressure on russia must be intensified. As you know, the First Lady of the United States has joined this process, and mediator states such as Qatar are actively involved. However, this remains inadequate. Given the reach and influence of parliamentary ties, we want to express our gratitude to the Verkhovna Rada for enabling us to reinvigorate this track and accelerate bringing our children home,” stated Oleksandr Bevz.
The analytical materials developed during this series of expert briefings will be made available for MPs to utilize in legislative work, parliamentary assemblies, friendship groups, and bilateral talks with international partners.
As a reminder, over 1.6 million Ukrainian children currently remain in the temporarily occupied territories. russia continues its campaign of indoctrination, erasure of Ukrainian identity, and militarization targeting these children.