Ukrainian side in Istanbul officially hands over to Russian side list of children who need to be returned – Yermak

During the negotiations in Istanbul, the Ukrainian side handed over to the Russian side a list of illegally deported or forcibly detained Ukrainian children who need to be returned, said head of the President’s Office of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak.

"Today, during the negotiations in Istanbul, the Ukrainian side officially handed over to the Russian side a list of Ukrainian children who need to be returned. We are talking about hundreds of children whom Russia illegally deported, forcibly moved or is holding in temporarily occupied territories," he wrote on Telegram on Monday.

Yermak recalled that back in March, at a meeting in Jeddah, Ukraine confirmed its readiness for a 30-day ceasefire with a humanitarian component.

"The return of Ukrainian children is an integral part of a fair and lasting peace and a key element of trust, the first test of sincerity of intentions. We are waiting for an answer. The ball is in Russia's court. True good faith is not words, but actions. And now is the time to prove it," the head of the President’s Office of Ukraine emphasized.

As reported, on Monday, June 2, the second round of Ukrainian-Russian negotiations began in Istanbul.