Forty-nine states and the EU as an institution condemn Russia for organising a UN meeting to justify the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children — Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, Serhii Kyslytsia
The joint statement reads that numerous international organisations and associations, including the International Criminal Court, the UN International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, academic institutions, media and independent non-governmental organisations, have all called attention to Russia's unlawful forced deportation of children from within Ukraine to the Russian Federation.
"Today, the Russian Federation will continue to abuse the powers and privileges of a permanent member of the UN Security Council to spread disinformation about the large-scale abduction and unlawful forced deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children. The Russian Federation will try to present its actions in Ukraine as consistent with international law, children's rights and the UN agenda. This could not be further from the truth than it is," the joint statement reads.
It also reports that Russia has forcibly deported more than 19,500 Ukrainian children.
"We unequivocally condemn the Russian Federation's actions in Ukraine, including and, in particular, the forced deportation of Ukrainian children, as well as other grave violations against children committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. No amount of disinformation spread by the Russian Federation can deny the truth of this matter, nor shield individuals from accountability for these crimes," the statement reads.
The statement on behalf of the European Union, Andorra, Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.
