Abducted Ukrainian Children

Lord Cromwell Excerpts

Wednesday 18th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

Absolutely. This is a crime. Children should never be pawns of war, but this is happening. Many of the children, as the noble Lord says, are the most vulnerable children; some were taken from institutions, and some at check- points. They are now in Russian institutions, some in Belarusian so-called recreation camps, some with families. It is the not knowing, I think, that adds to the pain and torture of the families. Some of these children are now becoming adults and are being required to serve in the armed forces. This is abhorrent, and we will continue to raise this. I am glad that we have the noble Lord’s support.

[Lord Cromwell (CB)]

My Lords, we normally think of war as being about lost and gained territory, but this is a surreal nightmare for any parent that is almost impossible to imagine. Thousands of children are being taken from Ukraine and Russified. I agree with all the previous questions, so will the Minister make her best efforts to raise public awareness of this issue— I just do not think there is enough yet—and, as others have said, make it central to the negotiations?

Finally, what brought the Nazis to account was their obsession with keeping detailed records. I do hope that we will extract enough information from the Russian side as soon as possible as to how many children are affected and where they are.