This information is also available in: Ukrainian | українська | Russian | русский Background Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than 20,500 Ukrainian children have been unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred to Russia and the temporarily occupied territories. Many have been forced to change their identity, placed for adoption and given the aggressor’s citizenship. Despite international efforts, just over 2,100 children have so far been returned to Ukraine. The fate of tens of thousands more Ukrainian children is unknown: they remain trapped, threatened and forced to deny their identities. The European Union is committed to ensuring that every Ukrainian child that was unlawfully taken by Russia returns home. About the high-level meeting As announced by President von der Leyen in the 2025 State of the Union Address, the representatives of the European Union, Ukraine, Canada and international partners met on 11 May 2026, in Brussels, for the high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. The participants reaffirmed a shared commitment to:stepping up action for securing the return of every Ukrainian child forcibly transferred or deported by Russia, andensuring full accountability for these crimesThe European Union will also mobilise additional €50 million to strengthen Ukraine’s child protection system and support the efforts to deliver on the commitments made at the high-level meeting.Co-chairs summary Commitments made at the high-level meeting The participants have agreed on a set of concrete measures: Strengthen tracing verification and monitoringExpand partnerships and strengthen coordination on the ground building on Ukraine’s Pilot Tracing Mechanism.Support Ukrainian return effortsProvide additional technical, financial and institutional support to Ukrainian authorities and civil society organisations.Boost the diplomatic trackStrengthen the engagement with the United Nations and international partners, while promoting existing mediation mechanism and support formal and informal channels for returns.Support return, protection and reintegrationExpand the support for the reintegration of children through early childhood education and care and strengthening family- and community-based care.Ensure accountabilityStep up support for investigations and legal proceedings, strengthen Ukraine’s investigative capacity, support child-friendly justice and assure access to compensation.Step up coordinated sanctionsAdopt further coordinated sanctions and targeted listings against those who are responsible, complicit or involved in the deportation, forcible transfer, "re-education" and militarisation of Ukrainian children. Home again: Sasha's story Sasha was only 11 years old when the Russians attacked. He and his mother sought refuge in a basement in their town of Mariupol. Russian soldiers stormed the city and took Sasha away from his mother. He was told he would have a Russian mother, a Russian passport, and a Russian name. They sent him to occupied Donetsk. But Sasha didn't give up. On a stop on the way, he asked to borrow a stranger's phone. He called his grandmother, Liudmyla, who was living in free Ukraine. Liudmyla moved mountains to get to him. With the help of the Ukrainian government, she travelled to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, and finally into occupied Ukraine. She got Sasha back. There are many more Ukrainian children who remain under Russian control. We must do everything in our power to bring them home. What the EU has already done for Ukrainian children Supporting Ukrainian children as one of the most vulnerable groups has been a key part of the EU’s assistance to Ukraine, including €100 million dedicated to support safe access to educationmore than 380 school buses donated1.5 million textbooks delivered €65 million provided for school meals In EU Member States, the EU is also funding projects through civil society partners and UN agencies that benefit Ukrainian refugee children, promoting social inclusion, education and mental health.The EU has imposed hard-hitting sanctions on more than 60 individuals complicit in the forced deportation, transfer, indoctrination and re-education of Ukrainian children.The EU has provided €12 million through UNICEF to the 'Better Care' reform aiming at deinstitutionalisation of care of children, establishment of family- and community-based care solutions and access to trauma-informed care for children. Related links EU humanitarian support to UkraineSchool buses for UkraineBring Kids BackFactsheet - EU solidarity with UkrainePress release: EU, Ukraine, Canada and partners join efforts to return forcibly transferred and unlawfully deported Ukrainian childrenFactsheet: Bringing Ukrainian children back homeVideo recording of the high-level meeting
As announced by President von der Leyen in the 2025 State of the Union Address, the representatives of the European Union, Ukraine, Canada and international partners met on 11 May 2026, in Brussels, for the high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. The participants reaffirmed a shared commitment to:stepping up action for securing the return of every Ukrainian child forcibly transferred or deported by Russia, andensuring full accountability for these crimesThe European Union will also mobilise additional €50 million to strengthen Ukraine’s child protection system and support the efforts to deliver on the commitments made at the high-level meeting.Co-chairs summary
Strengthen tracing verification and monitoringExpand partnerships and strengthen coordination on the ground building on Ukraine’s Pilot Tracing Mechanism.
Support Ukrainian return effortsProvide additional technical, financial and institutional support to Ukrainian authorities and civil society organisations.
Boost the diplomatic trackStrengthen the engagement with the United Nations and international partners, while promoting existing mediation mechanism and support formal and informal channels for returns.
Support return, protection and reintegrationExpand the support for the reintegration of children through early childhood education and care and strengthening family- and community-based care.
Ensure accountabilityStep up support for investigations and legal proceedings, strengthen Ukraine’s investigative capacity, support child-friendly justice and assure access to compensation.
Step up coordinated sanctionsAdopt further coordinated sanctions and targeted listings against those who are responsible, complicit or involved in the deportation, forcible transfer, "re-education" and militarisation of Ukrainian children.
Sasha was only 11 years old when the Russians attacked. He and his mother sought refuge in a basement in their town of Mariupol. Russian soldiers stormed the city and took Sasha away from his mother. He was told he would have a Russian mother, a Russian passport, and a Russian name. They sent him to occupied Donetsk. But Sasha didn't give up. On a stop on the way, he asked to borrow a stranger's phone. He called his grandmother, Liudmyla, who was living in free Ukraine. Liudmyla moved mountains to get to him. With the help of the Ukrainian government, she travelled to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, and finally into occupied Ukraine. She got Sasha back. There are many more Ukrainian children who remain under Russian control. We must do everything in our power to bring them home.
Press release: EU, Ukraine, Canada and partners join efforts to return forcibly transferred and unlawfully deported Ukrainian children
