Sybiha announces launch of #ChildrenAreNonNegotiable campaign
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has launched an international Easter campaign #ChildrenAreNonNegotiable to remind the world of the more than 20,000 Ukrainian children who were forcibly transferred by Russia.
“Unfortunately, not every family will be able to reunite this Holy Week. Thousands of Ukrainian children remain abducted by Russia, torn away from their families, homes, and homeland. Today, we launch the international Easter campaign #ChildrenAreNonNegotiable to remind the world about at least 20,000 Ukrainian kids forcibly transferred by Russia,” he said on X Wednesday.
The minister stressed that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has taken systematic steps to erase Ukrainian identity, abducting children, “re-educating them,” and placing them in Russian families.
He stressed that this crime must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible brought to justice. A just and lasting peace is possible only after all Ukrainian children return home.
“I invite my colleagues all over the world to join it and show their support for the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. Together, we will #BringKidsBack home,” Sybiha noted.
A number of international officials, colleagues of the Ukrainian Foreign Minister and parliamentarians have already joined the campaign. In particular, the President of the European Council António Costa announced that he had joined the initiative of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Bring Kids Back UA, to return Ukrainian children who were illegally taken out by Russia. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia Margus Tsahkna, the European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal Paulo Rangel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria Beate Meinl-Reisinger, President of the National Assembly of France Yaël Braun-Pivet, European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, and others, also announced their support for the initiative on social networks.