EU pledges around €200 million to fund school meals in Ukraine
Photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Getty Images)
The European Union will fund meals for Ukrainian schoolchildren with about €200 million. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also added that the kidnapping of Ukrainian children by Russia is a crime that requires a decisive international response, according to her speech at a conference in New York, USA.
In her address at the Restoring Childhood and Humanity conference, the European Commission President expressed support for Ukraine.
“The European Union supports Ukraine. That's why I'm delighted to announce today that we are ready to make available some 200 million Euros for the provision of school meals (to Ukraine - ed.),” von der Leyen said.
In addition, the European Commission President promised to help Ukraine in the matter of returning children whom Russia cynically kidnapped and deported to its territory.
“We will not rest until Ukraine's children are home,” said Ursula von der Leyen.
The European Union, together with UNICEF, is also allocating more than €10 million so that returned Ukrainian children will be able “to heal, to learn, and to dream again.”
Von der Leyen emphasized that the EU has already imposed sanctions on over 50 individuals involved in the kidnapping of Ukrainian children.
“But this fight is not Ukraine's alone. It requires the world’s resolve to maximize pressure on Russia,” the European high-ranking official noted.
Furthermore, Von der Leyen highlighted that currently, more than 1.5 million Ukrainian children are in temporarily occupied territories and are growing up under forced Russification.
The European Commission President also added that this was not only a war crime, but an attempt to destroy Ukraine’s identity, to steal its future by taking its children, depriving them of their names, language, and memories, and replacing them with lies.
Meanwhile, more and more countries are joining efforts to return Ukrainian children from Russia and the occupied territories.
