The European Parliament voted on 8 May to adopt a resolution condemning Russia’s deportation of Ukrainian children and demanding their immediate return.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine has officially identified over 19,500 children who have been forcibly deported or displaced to Russia, Belarus, or Russian-occupied territories. The true number is reportedly higher, as Russia often targets vulnerable children and does not cooperate on returns.

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova on suspicion of illegal deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.

The 8 May European resolution passed with 516 votes in favor, 3 against, and 34 abstentions, according to the Parliament’s press service.

MEPs condemned what they called Russia’s “genocidal strategy” carried out with Belarus’s support, aimed at “erasing Ukrainian identity.”

“The forced transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children, their illegal adoption, their assassination, and the forced Russification and militarisation must stop,” the resolution said.

The document demands that Russia report the identities and whereabouts of all deported Ukrainian children and ensure their safe and unconditional return.

Parliament also called for Russian authorities to allow international organizations access to all deported Ukrainian children, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and UNICEF.

“Any genuine peace deal must include the repatriation of these children and accountability for forcible transfers and deportations,” MEPs said in the resolution.

The European Parliament urged the EU and member states to join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.

The resolution was one of three human rights measures adopted on 8 May, alongside others concerning Tanzania and Tibet.

In April 2025, the Austrian parliament passed a similar resolution calling for the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.

Parliament had previously called on the International Criminal Court in September 2023 to issue an arrest warrant for self-proclaimed Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko for his role in the deportations of Ukrainian children.

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