Today, misleading information has emerged in the media suggesting that Ukraine and Russia have allegedly agreed on a "child exchange" deal with Qatar acting as a mediator.
Ukraine’s Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, has rejected these claims, emphasizing that no such agreement exists or ever could. He pointed out that this misinformation seems to be yet another example of Russian propaganda attempting to distort the facts and distract from Russia's crimes against Ukrainian children.
While Qatar is indeed supporting Ukraine in the process of returning illegally deported children, there are no agreements with Russia regarding any exchange. Ukraine has not abducted any Russian children and would not prevent them from returning home if they were on Ukrainian territory.
Forcible transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia constitute a violation of international law and a war crime. Unlike Russia, Ukraine is committed to upholding the rights of every child and continues to make every effort to bring our children home safely and hold Russia accountable.
We urge the media and international community to verify facts and not fall for misleading narratives.