Qatar helps Ukrainian children return home from Russia
Qatar says it is returning 4 children back to Ukraine from Russia, Russian-held territory
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Qatar is helping Ukrainian children return home from Russia as part of a new system that the Gulf Arab state is leading to repatriate thousands of children who were taken to Russian territory after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion last year.
Qatar has held months of secret talks with both Moscow and Kyiv, which claims that as many as 20,000 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-held territory without the consent of their families or guardians.
Dmitro Lubinets, Ukrainian parliament commissioner for human rights, confirmed Qatar's role to Fox News but said he could not elaborate.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As of today, not all children are in Ukraine. Complicated return processes are ongoing," Lubinets said. "Yes, the State of Qatar is involved in this. But it is necessary to wait until all the children are in Ukraine. Only then will there be comments."
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Ukrainian children hold banners during a protest outside the Russian embassy in Bucharest, Romania, on Saturday. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
On Monday, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the successful reunification process of some children with their families.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dr. Majed Al-Ansari, Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, told Fox News in an interview that Qatar "will not stop" and is "hopeful to see more children reunified with their families as soon as possible."
"The first discussions were certainly quite difficult," Al-Ansari said. "There was a lack of information but gradually we moved to the step where we are at where we have the reunification of these children happening."
Al-Ansari said the children were being brought back to Ukraine through Estonia or other Eastern European countries.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kyiv claims as many as 20,000 children were taken to Russia or Russian-held territory without the consent of their families or guardians. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
So far, Qatar says a 7-year-old boy was reunited with his grandmother in Qatar's Moscow embassy last week, adding that he returned to Ukraine on Monday via Estonia, a Qatari official told Reuters.
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Three other children that Qatar is helping to return home include two boys, ages 2 and 9, and a 17-year-old girl, the official said. The 9-year-old and teen girl are expected to be handed over to Qatari diplomats later this week.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) levied arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova after accusing them of illegally deporting children from Ukraine to Russia, following nearly a year’s worth of investigations into numerous alleged war crimes.
Russia has dismissed the warrants and said they were invalid, as Moscow does not recognize the authority of the ICC.