UN questions deportation of Ukrainian children: “Is there no shame?”
Children (photo: Getty Images)
Stephen Doughty, UK junior minister for Europe, North America, and Overseas Territories, said that Russia is using Ukrainian children as a tool of war, according to Ukrinform.
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The statement was made during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York.
Statement at the Security Council meeting
The British official noted that Russia’s actions include the forced displacement of Ukrainian children and ongoing attacks. According to him, such actions have become part of the war against Ukraine.
Stephen Doughty said that in September, he met with Ukrainian children who had been taken from occupied territories. According to the minister, during the conversation,s they shared their experiences.
“They told me how they were separated from their families with new identities imposed upon them,” Doughty said.
Stories of affected children
The minister also said that in his office, he keeps a drawing made by a Ukrainian child who managed to leave Russia. The child is currently receiving treatment after what they experienced.
“Russia is doing this to tens of thousands of children, using them as tools of war. And I have to ask the Russian representative: Is there no shame? This must end,” the minister emphasized.
Thousands of hours under air-raid sirens
According to the official, since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukrainian children have spent about four thousand hours under air-raid sirens. He said this is like more than five months of constant stress.
He noted that regular sirens, power outages, fear, and losses seriously affect children’s mental health.
“A generation is being robbed of the security and peace that every child in the world deserves,” he emphasized.
Returning children as a condition for peace
The return of deported children is an important element of a just peace, the official said. According to him, this issue should be part of any future settlement.
“So let's us be clear again in this place what peace requires… all the stolen children and prisoners of war returned, and justice for the crimes that have been committed,” he said.
He added that the UK supports international efforts aimed at returning Ukrainian children and bringing those responsible to justice.
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