(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Head of the PACE Parliamentary Network on the Situation of Ukrainian Children, Olena Khomenko, believes that partner countries can do more to increase all forms of pressure on Russia regarding the return of Ukrainian children. At the same time, the network has already adopted an action plan for this year and intends to actively promote this issue in all member states of the Assembly.
She shared the results of the second meeting of the Network in a comment to a Ukrinform correspondent.
"Today, we did not just talk about violations of children's rights; we called on our colleagues - parliamentarians - to take concrete actions, namely, to strengthen political and economic pressure on Russia and specifically on those Russians directly involved in crimes against Ukrainian children," Khomenko said.
According to her, there should be significantly more targeted sanctions, as the enemy is interested not only in taking the children but ultimately in their assimilation, the destruction of their identity, and their militarization.
"They will be deliberately re-educated and eventually forced into the Russian army. Russia is using them as a tool in this war. Currently, one and a half million Ukrainian children who remain in temporarily occupied territories are under direct threat of forced displacement," Khomenko stated.
She also urged partners to influence their governments to ensure they comply with the ICC arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova.
"We understand that this enemy is a monster that will try to justify its actions by spreading disinformation. That is why our task here, in the Council of Europe, in the Assembly, is to counteract this. We call on our partners to exert pressure, to intensify sanctions, and to demand accountability," she elaborated.
Khomenko also emphasized the importance of other forms of legal assistance.
"For example, some children who have suffered rights violations may be in PACE member states. They also need help, and these crimes should be investigated both by the human rights authorities of these states and jointly with Ukrainian law enforcement agencies," the MP explained.
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She reminded that the Parliamentary Network on the Situation of Ukrainian Children unites concerned parliamentarians from 46 member states of the Council of Europe.
"This is only our second meeting, and we have a work plan for 2025, which has been approved today. So, we have a lot of work ahead of us, which we want and will translate into concrete actions together with our partners," Khomenko concluded.
As reported by Ukrinform, the Council of Europe discussed ways to pressure Russia for the return of abducted Ukrainian children.
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