Child abductions: Ukraine’s first lady spotlights Russian actions

Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, urged the global community, particularly Asian nations, to remain alert to the situation in Ukraine. Amid its full-scale invasion, she revealed alarming instances of child abductions, with Ukrainian children being kidnapped by Russia.

Her appeal, primarily directed at the international community, aims at keeping the attention on Ukraine instead of other global issues.

“We have been saying since the first day of the Russian invasion that aggression against Ukraine is a dangerous marker of what is happening in the world.

“Because aggressors and tyrannies exist, you cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening, even if you are in another country or another part of the world as far away from us as, for example, Asia.”

She pointed out the recent escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East as a confirmation of her statement. If threats to human rights in one part of the globe are not promptly addressed, they are bound to erupt elsewhere, she warned.

Zelenska expressed her concern over the failure of international preventative mechanisms, as observed over the past year and a half. She was addressing a group of seven Asian journalists from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan, and Mongolia, who were invited to Ukraine to interact with civil society members, businesspeople, soldiers, survivors, peace advocates, and other Ukrainians affected by Russia’s war.

Alleged child abductions

The First Lady criticised international organisations, supposed peacekeepers, for their sluggish response, terming it as a threat to all global citizens. She also cautioned against the growth of tyranny worldwide.

“We see how attitudes towards Russia have changed over the last 15 years from admiration for their president to the fact that everyone now realises that tyranny has grown on such a scale that they cannot stop.”

Zelenska also spoke about the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russian forces. According to state data, a total of 19,500 Ukrainians, including very young children and teenagers, have been taken into Russian territory. This is perceived as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people.

The First Lady described the ordeal of children being taken away from their native country and re-educated elsewhere. As of now, 386 abducted children have been returned, she said.

These children were subjected to patriotic training during their captivity, were told they were now Russian citizens, and were asked to learn the Russian national anthem.

Rebuilding Ukraine’s future

Zelenska has called on the international community to address this issue. A coalition of security advisers has been formed in response, with the support of 66 countries. The coalition aims to continuously track abducted children, receive data from Russia, and collectively work towards the children’s return, reported Bangkok Post.

When asked about the future of Ukraine, Zelenska said the country will begin to rebuild. She acknowledged the immense work ahead, including the demining of Ukraine, currently the country with the highest level of contamination from mines.

“Everyone has their dreams. I really want to see Ukrainians in the squares and streets of our cities celebrating, singing songs and not being afraid to look up at the sky. Unfortunately, it’s hard to imagine this now.”