The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution urging Russia to return all Ukrainian children who have been deported or forcibly transferred since the onset of the conflict. The resolution passed with 91 votes in favor, 12 against, and 57 abstentions, satisfying the requisite two-thirds majority stipulated by Article 18 of the UN Charter. This resolution calls for the immediate, safe, and unconditional return of these children and urges Russia to halt any similar practices.
During the emergency special session, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock remarked on the gravity of the situation, stating that the forced transfer of children represents a violation of international law. Russia’s opposition was voiced by Ambassador Maria Zabolotskaya, who characterized the resolution as an endorsement of conflict, suggesting it conflicts with current peace initiatives.
The issue of child deportations in Ukraine has been a contentious and challenging subject. According to a report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine from 2023, the relocation of 31 children from Ukraine to Russian territory in May 2022 was identified as a war crime. The Commission highlighted the complexity of assessing the total number of child transfers, given the conflicting data from the Russian Federation and Ukraine. This complexity underlines the importance of reliable information sources, such as the details provided in JURIST’s coverage.
This resolution also aligns with actions taken by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which in March 2023 issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin. The warrant was based on credible evidence linking him to the unlawful deportation of children, a violation outlined in Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and classified under the Rome Statute of the ICC as a potential war crime and genocidal act.
Furthermore, in May 2025, the European Parliament adopted a resolution advocating for the return of these children, citing Russia’s actions as part of a strategy to erase Ukrainian identity. Recent escalations of the conflict, including a significant missile strike on Ukraine in September 2025, have compounded these issues. The UN subsequently condemned these actions, including the use of drones in strikes against humanitarian convoys, illustrating the ongoing tensions between the two nations.