Western weakness risks handing over an entire generation of Ukrainians to Putin

The plight of children – kidnapped by the thousands and taken to Russia for re-education – is a scandal of which too few are aware.

Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine has been an unrelenting tragedy for its people, but few have suffered more deeply than the children of Ukraine. More than 20,000 people have been forcibly deported to territories occupied by Russia, Russia and Belarus, torn from their families and homes. Although international law is clear in prohibiting such actions, these children have been placed in Russian foster or adoptive families, some even given Russian citizenship in a disturbing attempt to erase the their Ukrainian identity.

The child abduction is part of a wider and systematic operation overseen by the Russian authorities. A report by the Yale School of Public Health has identified at least 43 camps in Russia and occupied territories where Ukrainian children are detained and subjected to so-called “re-education”. Russian officials claim these camps provide “patriotic” education, but their true purpose is far more sinister. Children are forced to adopt a pro-Russian identity while being stripped of their national and personal heritage. The most distant of these camps is in Magadan, approximately 3,900 miles (6,276) from Ukraine, a location so remote that it is closer to the US than to Ukraine’s borders.

The stories emerging from these camps are nothing short of horrific. Children sent to camps under the false pretext of “recreational holidays” have suffered psychological manipulation and even physical abuse. In October 2022, children from then-occupied Kherson were sent to facilities in Crimea for what was supposed to be a two-week break. Instead, they were put through a re-education program where they were told their parents had abandoned them. In camps with names like “Dream” and “Sunny,” children were forced to listen to the Russian national anthem on repeat and faced punishment for any sign of dissent.

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Take the story of Vladyslav, a 16-year-old boy from Melitopol who was captured while trying to escape the besieged city. For 90 days, he was held in a Russian prison, forced to clean a torture chamber daily, cleaning up the blood of others subjected to brutal interrogations. During his captivity, Vlad witnessed unimaginable horrors, including the suicide of a fellow prisoner. The emotional scars of this period will last him a lifetime, but he was lucky to be rescued. Many others are still languishing in these nightmarish conditions.

The international response has been slow but is gaining momentum. In September, at the Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv, world leaders gathered under the patronage of Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska to focus on children’s safety. A joint declaration was signed to unify global efforts to protect the rights of children during armed conflict. The Summit decided to initiate coordinated projects to identify, locate and return Ukrainian children who have been abducted. The aim is to bring together international resources and expertise to ensure these children return safely, while providing support to displaced families.

This closely aligns with the UN Future Summit, which addressed the protection of children in conflict zones. In a world where war is tragically still a reality, the UN must focus on creating stronger frameworks to protect the most vulnerable: children. If existing mechanisms are insufficient to prevent mass abductions of children in Ukraine, what hope do we have of protecting children in future conflicts?

Despite the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the head of Russia’s children’s rights commission, practical application of international law remains elusive. When Russia’s leadership visits countries like Mongolia or South Africa, it does not take responsibility for its crimes. The international community must do more than issue orders: it must apply pressure on Russia to return these abducted children and unequivocally condemn these actions as acts of genocide.

Time is of the essence. If the international community does not act, we risk losing an entire generation of Ukrainian children to a regime that is trying to erase their identity. In the face of these atrocities, Ukraine must prevail, not only for its sovereignty, but for its children. If we stand by and allow these crimes to continue, we abandon the principles of justice and humanity that underpin international law.

Canada has already taken a leadership role, creating an international coalition to return Ukrainian children and planning to host a conference on the issue in late October. Qatar has also stepped in to support initiatives to rescue these children. But much more needs to be done. The UK must apply concerted pressure on Russia, both politically and economically, to secure the return of these children. Every day that passes without action is another day that these children remain in the clutches of their captors.

We cannot and must not look away. The abduction of Ukrainian children is a crime that demands a unified and forceful response. Our collective humanity is at stake, and we owe it to the next generation to act before it’s too late.

This article originally appeared on: Telegraph.co.uk

Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. For more information on his work, visit lordashcroft.com. Follow him on X/Facebook @LordAshcroft.

The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Kyiv Post.