EU chief, Ukrainian leader condemn ‘illegal deportation of Ukrainian children’

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday condemned the "illegal deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children," calling on Russia to stop this practice.

Von der Leyen and Zelenskyy's remarks came on the occasion of International Children's Day in a joint statement released after their meeting at the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit.

"Every child has the right to be free, protected and kept safe. However, Russia's war of aggression is depriving Ukrainian children of these rights," the statement said.

"We urgently call upon Russia to immediately stop these deportations, to put an end to the practice of so-called 'expedited adoptions' and return these children," the statement added.

Von der Leyen and Zelenskyy said that they "are committed to do all that is needed to establish the whereabouts of deported Ukrainian children, facilitate their safe return, and provide them with essential social, medical, and educational support upon their return."

Touching on the war's negative effects on children, they pledge to establish a specialized e-learning program for pediatricians and primary care medical staff.

"The European Commission has committed to supporting Ukraine's childcare reform, with a pledge of 10 million euros," it said.

Also pointing out that there are approximately 1.3 million Ukrainian children residing in the EU, von der Leyen and Zelenskyy said that they are committed to continue ensuring their "proper enrolment in education, and work towards the mutual recognition of their learning outcomes."

Russia has rejected accusations of "deportation," emphasizing that the children were moved voluntarily from the combat zone to "save their lives."

"The statements that Russia abducts and forcibly deports children are a lie," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

"Russia evacuated over 325,000 underage children from regions, shelled by Ukraine's armed forces. All of them came to our country voluntarily, saving their lives," she said.