The International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin is debated by MEPs. The arrest warrants for President Putin and for Maria Lvova-Belova, Children's Rights Commissioner for the President of Russia, were issued on 17 March 2023. Both are suspected of the alleged war crimes of unlawfully deporting and transferring Ukrainian children from the occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. Extracts from the debate.

EU - Ukraine (T)

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

EU - Russia (T)

troubles in Ukraine (T)

JOUROVÁ, Věra (EC)

AUŠTREVIČIUS, Petras (Renew, LT)

JUKNEVIČIENĖ, Rasa (EPP, LT)

MARQUES, Pedro (S&D, PT)

LAGODINSKY, Sergey (Greens/EFA, DE)

ROSWALL, Jessika (SE)

consequences of the war in Ukraine (T)

International Court of Justice

Children forcibly deported from Ukraine and ICC arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, There are at least 700, perhaps thousands, Ukraine children like Sasha, who has become victims of the war crime. The Council is firmly committed to ensuring full accountability for war crimes and of the most serious crimes committed in connection with Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. As the European Council underlined, Russia must immediately ensure the safe return of Ukrainians forcibly transferred or deported to Russia, in particular children.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, At a conference for Justice ministers in London in March, many Member States indicated that they would continue to provide this extra support in the near future. They also stated their intention to assist the ICC in setting up a field office in Kiev.

SOUNDBITE (English), V&#283;ra JOUROV&#193;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, While the number of forcibly deported or transferred Ukrainian children varies according to the source, the National Information Bureau of Ukraine has received information of over 16,000 children concerned as of last Friday.

SOUNDBITE (English), V&#283;ra JOUROV&#193;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, The Commission has provided over &euro;10 million to the court to strengthen its investigation and prosecution capacities. We are also dedicated to support national investigations opened into international crimes committed in Ukraine. In particular, the Commission has extended the mandate of Eurojust to collect and store evidence and strengthened it to be well equipped to support the Joint Investigation team uniting Ukraine and six EU member states in which the Courts Office of the Prosecutor participates as well.

SOUNDBITE (English), V&#283;ra JOUROV&#193;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, The EU also imposed sanctions against 16 individuals responsible for the deportation and forced adoption of Ukrainian children from areas occupied by Russian forces since 2022, including Maria Bakalova.

SOUNDBITE (English), V&#283;ra JOUROV&#193;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, According to the Ukrainian Children of War platform, only 361 children have so far returned to Ukraine. In this light, the EU supports the mandate of the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General on children and Armed Conflict to engage with Ukraine and Russia on the issue of deportation and children and child protection.

SOUNDBITE (English), Rasa JUKNEVI&#268;IEN&#278; (EPP, LT), The ICC arrest warrant for Putin is also a hope that this time the crimes will be evaluated so that the never again will not remain just words. However, this warrant is only the beginning. Those who behead prisoners will also be sentenced, and there must be a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine for Putin and his regime.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pedro MARQUES (S&amp;D, PT), Mr Putin, you crossed so many lines with this war that you will be remembered for the worst reasons, but do not add one more horrible chapter to the history books, not one. On kidnapping children. They are only children. Certainly not your enemies, not soldiers. For sure. They are innocent children that will be marked for life, for your actions. If there is a shred of humanity in you, do something decent. For once, stop the kidnappings and return the children to their families.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petras AU&#352;TREVI&#268;IUS (Renew, LT), The Russian government, which is still a member of the United Nations Security Council, unfortunately, is falsifying personal stories of Ukrainian children, changing their names and erasing their identities. None of us would like to find ourselves in the shoes of the parents of these children. I call on the European Union and the international community to use all possible means to locate, identify and return Ukrainian children to their families, as well as to the homeland Ukraine.

SOUNDBITE (German), Sergey LAGODINSKY (Greens/EFA, DE), There is forced adoption and deportation of Ukrainian children, which is a crime under the genocide conventions article two. This could constitute a genocide against the Ukrainian people, and this is something that has to be said out loud. This is something that the Russian authorities and the people of Russia must hear this appalling attack on Ukraine continues. The longer it continues, the more likely it is that we will tire. But crimes remain crimes and there can be no impunity.