The European Union is preparing further sanctions for the kidnapping of Ukrainian children and their military training in Russia. The aim is to punish the persons responsible for the deportations.
The ministers of foreign affairs of the member countries of the European Union will reportedly adopt new sanctions related to the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia on Monday. This was stated by two sources from the EU environment on Friday, TASR reports, according to a Reuters report.
“There will be a meeting on the sidelines of the Council meeting on the issue of kidnapped Ukrainian children,” said a high-ranking EU diplomat. “We will take…additional sanctions on this issue,” he added. The sources did not give details about the people who should be affected by these measures.
Moscow rejects the accusations
Ukraine claims that around 20,000 children have been illegally sent to Russia and Belarus, where in some cases they are subjected to military training and forced to fight against their own country’s army.
In connection with the deportations and forced relocation of children, the Commission of Inquiry established by the UN in March of this year accused Moscow of committing a crime against humanity. Moscow denies taking the children against their will and says people are evacuating voluntarily to get away from the war zone. In late April, Kyiv adopted additional sanctions against Russian entities allegedly involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children and against ships of the Russian shadow fleet.
