At its plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday 13 March, the European Parliament held a debate on the action needed to address the urgent concerns surrounding the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. The discussions took place in the presence of a young Ukrainian victim and her mother, as well as representatives of the ‘Voices of Children’ charity, which works to support children affected by armed conflict, and the Ukrainian Civil Liberties Centre.
The discussion was initiated by statements from representatives of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission highlighting the EU’s ongoing commitment to fighting impunity for international crimes committed in Ukraine.
Hadja Lahbib, the Belgian Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, stressed the importance of international cooperation to ensure the safe return of displaced children, and recalled the many efforts being made to combat these atrocities.
Ms Lahbib mentioned the opening of war crimes investigations at national level and the collaboration with the Ukrainian authorities as part of a joint investigation team. She also spoke of the major role of Eurojust, the European agency for judicial cooperation, and the creation of a database on war crimes, noting the importance of justice and accountability in the context of the war in Ukraine.
The European Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, Dubravka Šuica, denounced the brutality of Russia’s deportation and illegal transfer of children as a terrible crime, inflicting unimaginable suffering. Ms Šuica also reiterated the EU’s support for the International Criminal Court and Ukraine in their efforts to continue documenting and prosecuting these crimes.
Unanimous condemnation. MEPs unanimously condemned Russia’s actions. Representatives of various political groups have called for tougher sanctions against Russian officials and for greater international cooperation to repatriate Ukrainian children.
For example, Rasa Juknevičienė (EPP, Lithuanian) reported that around 20,000 Ukrainian children were deported, but that the figure could rise to 700,000, calling on the European Union to recognise these acts as a genocidal policy against the Ukrainian people.
Heléne Fritzon (S&D, Swedish) highlighted the devastating impact of war on children, stressing the risks of separation from their families and the need for Russia to take responsibility for these war crimes. For her part, Viola von Cramon-Taubadel (Greens/EFA, German) shared stories of the brutality experienced by Ukrainian children, highlighting the “brainwashing” to which they are subjected and defining these acts as genocide.
Jadwiga Wiśniewska (ECR, Polish) recognised the deportation of these children as a form of genocide and called for stronger sanctions against Russia.
Jaak Madison (ID, Estonian) criticised Russian propaganda claiming to protect Ukrainian children, while stressing the importance of military support for Ukraine to end the conflict.
Combating disinformation. Finally, this debate saw a strong reaction against non-attached MEP Marcel de Graff (Dutch), the only person to deny the reality of the deportation of Ukrainian children and to make serious accusations against the West. These reactions highlighted the need to combat disinformation and maintain a firm and united stance in the face of propaganda and attempts at division.
Elisabetta Gualmini (S&D, Italian) strongly condemned Mr de Graff’s speeches, accusing him of spreading Russian propaganda, and denounced Russia’s barbaric treatment of children. Catharina Rinzema (Renew Europe, Dutch) also expressed her disgust at the propaganda and stressed the need for sanctions against host families in Russia who receive displaced Ukrainian children, highlighting the importance of their return. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)