Polish PM and European Commission President to Visit Ukraine: To Discuss Children Abducted by Russia – Media

In April, Ukraine will host an international event with the participation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"The event is scheduled for April. Its details have not yet been made public for security reasons. One of the main topics will be illegal deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia," a source in the EU claims, as the Polish PAP agency reports.

In February, the European Commission, in conjunction with Poland, launched an initiative to search for Ukrainian children who have been illegally removed from the occupied territories of Ukraine by Russian troops. The aim is to join forces to collect evidence so that the abducted children can be found and those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice.

"Under the leadership of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the project will be supported by UN agencies. You are aware of the dramatic situation of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and sent to Russia for adoption, which is a great social problem, a tragedy and a crime. This is why together with Poland, we are launching this initiative to address this tragic situation. It is believed that from the beginning invasion, Russian forces abducted thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia," Dana Spinant, spokesperson for the European Commission, said in February.

Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova on 17 March, in view of the situation in Ukraine. Putin and Lvova-Belova are suspected of committing the war crime of illegal deportation of children from the occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, which has been taking place since at least 24 February 2022.

For details on What the Hague warrant for Putin's arrest means and why it is not enough, read the EuroPravda article (Ukr).