Netherlands steps up efforts to help Ukraine recover children taken to Russia

The Netherlands government has announced an additional €2 million in funding aimed at supporting efforts to locate and return Ukrainian children taken to Russia, according to a statement published by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The newly allocated funds will be used to provide Ukraine with DNA testing kits. These kits are intended for testing relatives of missing Ukrainian children, allowing authorities to more rapidly identify the children once they are returned from Russia and facilitate their reunification with their families.

Ukrainian police test a family's DNA

Part of the financial assistance will also be directed toward providing psychosocial support to children who have returned after being deported to Russia, helping address the psychological and social consequences of their displacement.

Last week, the White House stated that US First Lady Melania Trump had, for the third time, assisted efforts to return abducted Ukrainian children to their families. 

In August, Melania Trump sent a “letter of peace” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging the return of Ukrainian children transferred from Ukraine. The letter was delivered to the Kremlin leader by Donald Trump ahead of a summit held in Alaska.

The issue of the forced transfer of children from occupied Ukrainian territories was also the basis for the decision by the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin in 2023.

By Tamilla Hasanova