‘We Will Not Rest Until Every Single Child Is Returned,’ Ursula von der Leyen Says

The European Union, together with Ukraine and Canada, will co-host a high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children on May 11 in Brussels, in a renewed push to trace, return and reintegrate Ukrainian children taken by Russia.

The meeting will bring together international partners to support Ukraine’s efforts to bring the children home and hold those responsible accountable.

“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has cost more than land and lives – it has stolen childhoods,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

“Over 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly taken from their families, their homes. On 11 May, together with Ukraine and Canada, we will bring the world together to demand justice. We will work together to trace every single child, to return them to their homes, and ensure those responsible face consequences. These children are Ukraine’s future and we will not rest until every single child is returned,” she said.

The high-level meeting will be co-hosted on behalf of the EU by High Representative and Vice-President Kaja Kallas and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand.

Participants are also expected to discuss ways to step up coordinated sanctions against those responsible for the deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children. They will also review recommendations prepared by civil society and experts during the Civil Society Expert Day set to take place in Kyiv on April 30.

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Hungary’s Veto on Ukraine Remains, Just Moved Down the Road

Hungary and Ukraine have reached a comprehensive agreement restoring linguistic, educational, and cultural rights to roughly 100,000 ethnic Hungarians in the Zakarpattia region. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that Budapest will conditionally support opening Ukraine’s first EU negotiating cluster once these measures are codified into Ukrainian law. While this milestone unblocks a two-year political stalemate and pocketed €16.4 billion in un-frozen EU funds for Budapest, it defers rather than eliminates Hungary’s veto power.

According to Ukrainian authorities, more than 20,000 Ukrainian children have been unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred to Russia and temporarily occupied territories since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Officials say Russia has also systematically sought to conceal the children’s identities and whereabouts.

The International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was launched in Kyiv in February 2024 and is co-chaired by Ukraine and Canada. The EU became a full member in September 2025. The coalition now unites 47 countries and international organizations coordinating diplomatic, humanitarian, legal and informational efforts on the issue.