European Union officials, alongside Ukraine and Canada, have hosted a high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, announcing an extra €50 million in EU funding to support Ukraine’s child protection system.
The meeting on Monday brought together representatives from around 60 countries to discuss efforts to secure the return of Ukrainian children described as forcibly transferred or unlawfully deported by Russia, and to support investigations and legal proceedings linked to those cases, the European Commission informed in a statement.
More than 20,500 Ukrainian children have been recorded as unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred to Russia or to temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, the EU said, adding that efforts to conceal children’s identities and whereabouts have made coordination harder.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative and Commission Vice-President, and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos attended on behalf of the bloc.
President Ursula von der Leyen stated “tens of thousands” of Ukrainian children taken by Russia remain separated from their families and that the EU would not stop working until they were reunited.
Plans for tracing, returns and sanctions
Participants agreed measures including strengthening tracing and verification work, stepping up diplomatic engagement through the United Nations and other channels, and expanding support for children’s return and reintegration, including early childhood education and care, the EU said.
The coalition also agreed to increase support for accountability measures — including investigations, Ukraine’s investigative capacity, child-friendly justice and access to compensation — and to adopt further coordinated sanctions targeting individuals involved in alleged deportations, transfers, “re-education” and militarisation of Ukrainian children.
The EU said the additional €50 million would help expand child-centred and community-based services, support early childhood education, improve access to justice, and reinforce digital systems, including those used for compensation claims.
The International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was launched in Kyiv in February 2024 and is co-chaired by Ukraine and Canada, while the EU joined as a full member in September 2025.
