EU, Ukraine, and Canada to co-host high-level meeting on return of Ukrainian children

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, together with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, will today co-host in Brussels (as part of the Foreign Affairs Council) a high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. 

The event will gather ministers and senior representatives from around 50 countries and international organisations to further support Ukraine’s efforts to trace, return, and reintegrate children that were forcibly transferred and unlawfully deported by Russia, while ensuring accountability for Russia’s actions. Participants will also discuss ways to step up coordinated sanctions against those responsible for these actions.

The high-level meeting will open at 17:00 CEST with video messages from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. These will be followed by a ministerial roundtable discussion with coalition members and representatives from around 20 guest countries. 

Earlier in the day, a screening of the documentary After the Rain: Putin’s Stolen Children Come Home will take place, followed by a panel discussion featuring the film’s director, Ukrainian representatives and other distinguished speakers.

The film will also be available for viewing on the European Commission audiovisual portal for one month free of charge. 

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Press release