Representatives from Moscow and Kiev met in Qatar for the first time to discuss it Return of minors separated from their families for the war in Ukraine, said this Thursday the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Russia, María Lvova-Belova, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“With Qatar’s mediation today.” The first personal negotiations took place with the Ukrainian sidewhere help for families seeking reunification was discussed,” the Russian politician said on her Telegram channel.
Lvova-Belova and Russian President Vladimir Putin have pending ICC arrest warrants accusing them of illegally deporting children and transferring them from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russian territory, which constitutes a war crime.
“It is an important day. I arrived in Doha at the invitation of Qatar and we have been working on family reunification since October,” the commissioner added, thanking the Qatari state for its efforts.
According to the information, the situation of 29 children living in Russia and 11 living in Ukraine who are waiting to be reunited with their families was discussed.
“As we see, there is no mention of thousands of ‘deported’ children; these numbers are nothing more than a myth. And it is important that Qatar witnesses this,” he said.
From Moscow, foreign affairs spokeswoman María Zajárova took the opportunity to blame Kiev and the West using the fate of Ukrainian children for political purposes.
“This is all wrong, it is a matter of political machinations and intrigues, just another intrigue (…) Behind all these pseudo-initiatives, which are actually aimed at enforcing their own selfish interests, the real problems of the children are lost. Nobody in the West or… “Ukraine is interested in the true fate of these children,” he denounced.
He compared this situation with the cases of family separations among Ukrainian families promoted by the European authorities, which numbered 255.
“Ukrainian citizens who have lost hope of recovering their children literally lost in the EU are asking for help from Russian diplomatic institutions as Ukrainian embassies refuse to support them,” he said.
In addition, he pointed out that 161 Ukrainian children were found in Germany, who, according to Ukraine, were deported to Russia.
“This should serve as a wake-up call for all countries that have expressed solidarity with the ICC’s pseudo-decision,” he said.
