Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has denied media reports of a Qatar-brokered deal between Kyiv and Moscow to "exchange" children.
Le Monde, citing AFP, reported that "nine minors and one adult will be reunited with their families in Ukraine" and that "four minors will be reunited with their families in Russia". Lubinets stressed that Ukraine did not abduct Russian children.
He said that Qatar is acting as an intermediary in the return of illegally deported and forcibly displaced Ukrainian children. At the same time, Ukraine has not abducted or held Russian children on its territory, nor does it prevent their return to Russia if they are on our territory.
"In fact, no one has signed any agreement. It looks like an outright promotion of Russian narratives," he said.
Lubinets added that international humanitarian law does not provide for such a process as the exchange of children. "What kind of cynicism does it take to propose such a mechanism for the return of Ukrainian children from deportation?" he said.
Since July 2023, Qatar, as an intermediary, has been helping to repatriate Ukrainian children displaced to Russia and territories under Russian occupation since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine estimates that 20,000 Ukrainian minors have been deported or forcibly transferred to Russia, although the total number may be much higher as this figure only includes officially identified children. According to Kyiv, about 400 of them have been repatriated so far.
In April, Ukraine handed over a list of children abducted by Russia to Qatar.
Qatar wants to involve not only abducted children but also other categories of Ukrainians in the return from Russia.