On Thursday 1 June, International Children’s Day, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pledged to provide online training for medical staff in dealing with the psychological trauma suffered by Ukrainian children as a result of Russian military aggression against their country.
“We are committed to offering specialised rehabilitation services to distressed children in both Ukraine and the European Union”, they declared, following a meeting held alongside the ‘European Political Community’ summit (see EUROPE 13192/1).
The two leaders want to do everything possible to locate Ukrainian children illegally transferred to Russia, facilitate their return and provide them with social, medical and educational support as soon as they return. They believe that the Ukrainian authorities’ specific plan can play a crucial role in this endeavour.
“The time will come to bring to justice the perpetrators of these war crimes, for which the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants”, said Ms von der Leyen and Mr Zelenskyy. These arrest warrants target the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and the Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova (see EUROPE 13165/2).
The two leaders also promised to contribute to the reform of childcare facilities in Ukraine, with the European Commission having already pledged €10 million in financial aid.
To see the joint statement, go to https://aeur.eu/f/76o (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)