A bipartisan resolution has been introduced in the US House of Representatives condemning the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia

The leaders of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Democrat Gregory Meeks and Republican Michael McCaul, have introduced a resolution condemning the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia. It also calls for the return of all Ukrainian children before any peace agreement is reached.

This was reported by the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The resolution notes that, according to Ukrainian data, Russia has abducted at least 19 546 children as of April 2025. These abductions are aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity.

The State Departmentʼs 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report notes that Russia recruits or uses child soldiers, has a state-run human trafficking policy, and is one of the worst human trafficking centers in the world.

The Russian presidential commissioner for childrenʼs rights Maria Lvova-Belova acknowledged the kidnapping and forced adoption of Ukrainian children into Russian families. The United States has imposed sanctions on at least 32 people and three organizations in Russia and Belarus for their involvement in the kidnapping of Ukrainian children.

The resolution must now be considered and passed by the US House of Representatives.

• The US began investigating Russian war crimes in May 2022. Experts have prepared 13 public reports on Russiaʼs aggression in Ukraine, as well as six ICC indictments against Russian officials, including Putin.
• In March 2025, the Trump administration, as part of DOGE’s efforts, terminated the Conflict Observatory initiative, which had been tracking the mass deportation of Ukrainian children. It was funded by the US government and led by the Yale University Humanities Research Laboratory.
• The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin and the Russian Presidentʼs Commissioner for Childrenʼs Rights Maria Lvova-Belova on March 17, 2023. They are accused of directing the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
• In June 2020, President Zelensky stated that Russia had offered to exchange Ukrainian children for Russian prisoners of war.

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