19/04/2022 18:08

Met with the Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas

Stressed that the number of forcibly deported Ukrainian citizens to the territory of the occupying country is growing rapidly every day.

According to russian media, more than 880,000 people have already been deported to Russia from Ukraine, including 184,000 children.  Among them are orphans and children deprived of parental care.  For the illegal adoption of Ukrainian children under a simplified procedure, the occupying country has already prepared 280 cases, which is a sign of genocide of the Ukrainian people and a violation of the Rome Statute.

Appealed to the Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children and families raising orphans and children deprived of parental care, deported to Russia from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, to Ukraine.

Thanked the Republic of Estonia in the person of Mr. Matti Maasikas for support and assistance in the deportation to the city of Narva of forcibly deported Ukrainians who were in a camp in the Penza region of the Russian Federation.  The next group of deported Ukrainians is currently being transported.

Said that I had initiated the creation of an international working group on ombudsmen in Europe to develop a mechanism for returning our children home to Ukraine.

Asked Mr. Maasikas to facilitate meetings with the Chairman of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to establish humanitarian corridors for the return of forcibly deported Ukrainian citizens from Russia to Ukraine.

Mr. Maasikas noted the importance of the Commissioner's work and coordination with other state bodies and international partners in documenting the crimes of the aggressor state in order to further bring to justice those responsible for war crimes.

I called on the countries of the European Union to provide lethal weapons to fight the aggressor country of Russia!