Russia denies abducting Ukrainian children, sets conditions for talks
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry (Getty Images)
Russia has officially denied the abduction of Ukrainian children. At the same time, Moscow has set a condition for further negotiations with Ukraine, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, as reported by TASS.
Zakharova denied the abduction of Ukrainian children. Moreover, she emphasized that this issue should not be on the agenda in future negotiations with Ukraine.
"There are no Ukrainian children abducted by Russia — that must be the starting point for any discussion on the topic of children in Russian-Ukrainian contacts," she said.
Return of Ukrainian children
During negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, claimed there had been no mass deportation of Ukrainian children, stating that the issue concerned only "a few dozen or perhaps a hundred" minors.
Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister, Serhii Kyslytsia, strongly rejected these cynical claims.
Since 2014, Russia has forcibly taken tens of thousands of children from Ukraine.
Official data confirms that more than 19,500 Ukrainian children have been unlawfully deported.
RBC-Ukraine has reported on which countries are helping Ukraine bring the abducted children back home.
Additionally, Ukraine's diplomatic memorandum identifies the return of children as one of the key trust-building measures in any future peace process.
