The Weaponization of Childhood: The International Community’s Role in Addressing Russia’s Deportation of Ukrainian Children 

In any war zone, children are often the most vulnerable population, frequently becoming victims of abuse at the hands of the aggressor’s government. Since the war in Ukraine began in 2014, Ukrainian children have faced numerous hardships, including displacement, the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the constant threat of injury or death. One of the most egregious yet historically entrenched colonial practices employed by the Russian Federation continues to be the separation and deportation of children – a strategy with the ultimate aim of cultural erasure and systematic isolation of future generations. To better understand the historical context of child removal as a tool of colonial domination, the specific actions taken by Russia in Ukraine (2014-2024), and the gaps in international legal frameworks for child protection in the context of Russian aggression in Ukraine, read our previous analysis.  

Despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants for the Russian President and the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights in 2023, no arrests have been made. While the international community continues to struggle with how best to respond, some governments, including Canada, have taken active steps to return deported children by co-chairing The International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children (Coalition) as part of the Bring Kids Back UA campaign. In contrast, the Trump administration halted funding for the Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab that exposed the complicity of Russian and Belarusian governments in the forceful deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories. This analysis will further examine the efficacy of international responses in addressing the atrocities committed by the Russian government and pursuit of justice for Ukrainian families, while critically interrogating the political dynamics and colonial dynamics that continue to shape the implementation and practice of international legal norms.  

Bring Kids Back UA & Canada’s Attempt to Reclaim Global Leadership in Human Rights Protection  

In response to the Russian deportation of Ukrainian children, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initiated a strategic action plan titled Bring Kids Back UA. The plan aims to unite not only the Ukrainian government but also international organizations in efforts to return Ukrainian children from Russian custody. As part of this initiative, the International Coalition was officially launched in Kyiv on February 2, 2024, co-chaired by the Government of Ukraine and the Government of Canada. The Coalition’s primary goal is to ensure the safe return of all Ukrainian children from Russia and Russian-occupied territories. Additional objectives include coordinating international efforts, sharing accurate information, and compiling reliable statistics—an especially challenging task due to the Russian government’s lack of transparency and ongoing disinformation campaigns. The Coalition also focuses on advocacy and communications to keep the issue of forced deportations prominent in international forums. At the 2024 Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held in Switzerland, the Canadian government announced a support package that included $15 million specifically dedicated to: 

• Supporting vulnerable children, at-risk youth, and reintegrating displaced children returning to Ukraine through enhanced child protection services and family-based care options; 

• Improving access to justice for survivors of war crimes; and 

• Raising awareness among families and civil society about the missing persons process. 

On the first anniversary of the Coalition, commemorated in Kyiv, former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, highlighted Canada’s continued commitment. She noted that Canada has been providing technical support through its embassy in Kyiv, funding local initiatives, and backing related United Nations (UN) resolutions.  

In a statement to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on December 4, 2024, the Canadian Permanent Representative to the UN, H. E. Ambassador Bob Rae, highlighted that while Canada continues to support Ukraine, it is also working toward healing from the legacy of the residential school system and addressing the intergenerational trauma affecting Indigenous communities across the country. The statement reflects Canada’s effort to confront its own difficult history while seeking to rebuild credibility on human rights in the international arena. However, the reality for many Indigenous communities tells a different story. As of May 29, 2025, 35 First Nations communities were still under 37 long-term drinking water advisories. Furthermore, 37% of the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) have either stalled or have not been initiated, signaling a significant gap between rhetoric and action. It remains to be seen whether the new Carney government will take these responsibilities seriously, given its relative absence from his government’s mandate letter.  

The Yale Conflict Observatory, Political Will to Hold Russia Accountable, and the Shifting U.S. Administration’s Role in the War in Ukraine 

In early May 2022, with support from the United States Department of State, the Conflict Observatory was established to document war crimes occurring in Ukraine. The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) hosted the Conflict Observatory and compiled data on children who were deported to various parts of Russia, as well as documenting the complicity of Russian and Belarusian officials in the process. As an independent program, the Conflict Observatory produced evidence implicating all levels of the Russian government involved in the forcible deportation of Ukrainian children, a recognized war crime under international law.  Under the Biden administration, the U.S. government’s funding of such a program reflected a commitment of accountability for war crimes and an understanding of the importance of data collection and preservation to this end. However, this position has shifted under the Trump administration, raising serious questions and concerns regarding the continuity of support for mechanisms of international justice and accountability. 

Under the new American administration of Donald Trump, the decision to fund the Conflict Observatory was terminated under new budget cuts, meaning that future work and efforts to support the return of Ukrainian children are jeopardized. Even more concerning is the fact that the American government is responsible for the maintenance of the database files; evidence of Russian war crimes might be lost if the U.S. decides to delete the database, putting at risk justice for the crimes committed against Ukrainian children. The concern for the safety and protection of data files containing crucial information about the whereabouts of Ukrainian children is justified. Since the Trump administration took office, datasets have disappeared from Data.gov, the U.S. government’s open data repository. While the disappearance of these datasets could be due to technical issues or the need to migrate documents elsewhere, it is worth noting that during Trump’s first term, information related to climate change was altered or removed, suggesting a pattern of politically motivated data suppression. After the decision to stop funding, Trump’s administration was faced with criticism from diverse groups of advocates, including Democrats, Republicans, and Christian evangelicals, which prompted the government to temporarily pause the defunding policy in order to complete the transfer of data to the European Union’s law enforcement agency, EUROPOL. The Conflict Observatory will cease operations on July 1, 2025 and is being forced to lay off all staff across Ukraine. Earlier in June, the HRL launched a donation campaign to raise funds to continue their critical work, while members of Congress tried to advocate for federal funding recognizing the need for criminal accountability, as well as the importance of rescuing Ukrainian children and preserving their cultural identity.  

The abduction of Ukrainian children by the Russian government as a state-sanctioned policy demonstrates that Russian aggression in Ukraine is rooted in imperialist and colonialist ambitions, with the destruction of Ukrainian identity at its core. As we have officially entered the third year of the full-scale invasion, we continue to witness a lack of criminal accountability and an absence of effective enforcement mechanisms within the international community to prosecute Russian officials. 

While there are coalitions and collaborations among many nation-states aimed at bringing justice to Ukrainian children, and while some children have been successfully reunited with their families, the shifting tides of international politics have shown how easily this issue can be swept under the rug. During the Istanbul negotiations earlier in June, President Zelenskyy highlighted Russia’s stance on the issue of abducted children, noting that the Russian side told the Ukrainian delegation not to “put on a show for childless European ladies.” 

While such a statement is sadly not surprising coming from a revisionist power that has repeatedly violated international legal norms, it is deeply concerning. In contrast, the American government’s decision to halt funding and support for efforts by Ukrainians and Europeans to seek justice for these children reflects a broader shift in the U.S. administration’s willingness to defend a rules-based international order. Such a retreat threatens to further erode the already fragile mechanisms of international justice, ultimately emboldening future violations by signaling impunity in an increasingly multipolar world.