Joanna Baxter, a Scottish member of the UK House of Commons, has officially proposed that 17 July be made a day of remembrance for Ukrainian children who have been forcibly removed from their homes by Russia. She published a corresponding appeal in X, calling on the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence to support the initiative.
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According to the Yale University Search Group, Russia has deported more than 19,500 Ukrainian children since the start of the full-scale invasion. Baxter stressed that this is a war crime and requires a strong international response. She also drew attention to Moscow’s attempts to hide the traces of the crime through ‘re-education’, involvement of children in propaganda training and even conscription into the Russian army.
The MP believes that Russia should provide a full list of deported children in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. Ukraine — with the support of its allies — should create an effective system for the return of minor victims of deportation with comprehensive assistance.
Baxter emphasised that the return of abducted children should be a prerequisite for any peace talks. She also expressed concern over the termination of funding for the Yale University search team by the United States.
Read also: Ukraine returns over a thousand children abducted by Russia
