Lithuania to help Ukraine bring back POWs and abducted children from Russia
Lithuania will do everything possible to support the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war and abducted children from Russia, stated Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys.
On July 21, Budrys opened the first international expert-level meeting of the Safe Pathways Home initiative in Vilnius. The goal of this initiative is to coordinate international efforts to return abducted Ukrainian children, prisoners of war, and other unlawfully deported individuals from illegal Russian captivity.
"From children to prisoners of war — every life matters. Over 1.6 million Ukrainian children still live in territories occupied by Russia, and the number of children illegally deported to Russia has reached nearly 20,000. Lithuania will make every effort to ensure their journey home is safe, dignified, and as quick as possible," the Lithuanian Foreign Minister emphasized.
The discussions at the meeting will focus on practical steps — how to facilitate border crossings, ensure transit capabilities, provide legal and humanitarian assistance, and support the return of illegally detained individuals or abducted children to their families.
According to the Lithuanian authorities, the country joined the Safe Pathways Home initiative at a conference on humanitarian issues of the Ukrainian peace formula, which took place in Canada on October 31, 2024.
Deportation of Ukrainian children
According to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has deported over 19,500 children from Ukraine. More than a thousand young Ukrainians have been successfully returned home.
The deportation of Ukrainian children was the basis for the International Criminal Court in The Hague to issue arrest warrants for Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Commissioner for Children's Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova.
