Qatar said on Monday it had reunited four Ukrainian children who were detained by Moscow authorities after the February 2022 invasion on Russian territory with their families in Ukraine.
“Qatar announces the success of an operation to reunite a number of Ukrainian children with their families,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement in Doha.
He said he hoped this operation would mark the “beginning” of a process that would allow more children to be returned to Ukraine.
The ministry said it gathered these children and their relatives at the Qatar Embassy headquarters in Moscow last week before transporting them “to their final destination” in Ukraine.
A Qatari diplomatic source familiar with the matter said four children managed to reach Ukraine on Monday, calling the operation a “breakthrough” and “gesture of goodwill” on Russia’s part.
For its part, the Qatari Foreign Ministry reiterated that the “success of the operation is evidence of the credit Qatar enjoys with various parties (to the conflict) and its continuous pursuit of peace and stability in the region and the world.”
“Cooperation”
At a news conference in Moscow on Monday, Russian Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova did not confirm the agreement but praised Qatar’s “facilitator role,” particularly with regard to the “child reunification process.”
“They’re trying to figure things out,” she said. “We hope that the collaboration will continue.”
Kiev has accused Moscow of deporting “tens of thousands” of Ukrainian children who were “abducted” in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ms. Lvova-Belova over the “illegal deportation” of thousands of Ukrainian children since February 2022.
The allegations have been repeatedly rejected by Russian authorities, including Ms. Lvova-Belova, who again on Monday called them a “lie.” She also reiterated that Moscow is considering protecting these children from the conflict.
In addition, she refused at this time to reveal the number of Ukrainian children who have arrived on Russian soil since the Kremlin’s offensive in Ukraine began more than a year and a half ago.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s wife, Olena Zelenska, more than 19,000 Ukrainian children have been transferred or forcibly abducted to Russia or occupied territories.
Only 386 had been returned to Ukraine, she said in September.
For her part, on Monday, Ms. Lvova-Belova assured that Moscow had received 17 applications from Ukrainian families wanting to return their children and that the relevant Russian authorities were “working on it.”
Qatar plays a mediating role in many international affairs. He recently endorsed a prisoner swap agreement between the United States and Iran that would see Washington lift its freeze on $6 billion in Iranian assets.