Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children of engaging in “Russophobia and double standards,” dismissing its recent statement as politically motivated.
'Not About Helping Children'
According to Zakharova, the coalition’s declaration is not aimed at aiding children, but at continuing a “defamation campaign” against Russia. She stressed that the only way to facilitate the return of Ukrainian minors is through depoliticized cooperation between ombudsmen, not public political pressure.
Russia Says It Supports Reunification
Zakharova insisted that Russia “not only does not obstruct but actively facilitates” the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families. She rejected accusations of “illegal deportation and forcible transfer,” calling them a provocation intended to draw attention to a “detached-from-reality narrative.”
Details on the Istanbul Negotiations
The statement came in response to demands from the coalition — chaired by Ukraine and Canada — that Russia provide a “substantive response” regarding a list of 339 Ukrainian children discussed during talks in Istanbul on June 2. Zakharova noted that Russia had already given its reply to Kyiv on July 23 during the third round of negotiations.
She stated that 30% of the names on the list could not be confirmed, as some children had never been in Russia, had already returned to their families, or had reached adulthood.
Children 'Safe and Under State Care'
Zakharova emphasized that children currently in Russia are safe and under state supervision, and that many lives were saved by evacuating them from active combat zones.
Medinsky: Some in Ukraine Exploit the Issue
Earlier, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation in Istanbul, claimed that not all Ukrainian officials take the matter of returning children seriously, alleging that some use the topic to gain political capital.
