Russia-Ukraine Child Exchange Accord Brokered by Qatar in Landmark Talks

Russia and Ukraine have engaged in direct negotiations facilitated by Qatar to address the exchange of children affected by the ongoing conflict. 

Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights, confirmed on Wednesday the commencement of these talks, marking a historic milestone in direct dialogue between the two parties.

Under Qatar’s mediation, an agreement has been brokered to exchange a total of forty-eight children. The initiative was sparked by appeals from both Moscow and Kyiv to address the issue.

“Following the negotiations, we have finalized a list of 29 children to be repatriated to Ukraine and 19 to Russia,” Lvova-Belova stated, as quoted by RIA Novosti.

Kyiv authorities claim that since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, at least 19,500 Ukrainian children have been forcibly displaced to Russia and Russian-annexed territories, a situation Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has labeled as “genocide.”

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova over the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia, where many have reportedly been adopted by Russian families. Despite Russia’s non-membership in the ICC, it vehemently contests the validity of the warrant against Putin.

Lvova-Belova refuted these figures on Wednesday, dismissing them as “fake” and attributing them to the early stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when the front lines were in flux. She claimed that family members had relocated approximately 730,000 children to Russia, with 2,000 evacuated for safety from Ukrainian orphanages, although she made no mention of forcible displacement.

In late March, Russia and Ukraine conducted a child exchange through Qatar’s mediation, a significant stride towards family reunification amidst ongoing conflict.

The exchange saw five children returning to Ukraine, while one child was reunited with relatives in Russia.

According to the BBC, drawing on research from Yale University in the US, children were frequently placed in re-education camps or psychiatric facilities. Allegations suggest that Russian authorities have streamlined the process of adopting a Ukrainian child, including changing their name and issuing them a Russian passport. Save Ukraine, a humanitarian organization, has thus far managed to rescue 273 abducted Ukrainian children.