MONTREAL — Greater than 45 nations signed a pledge in Montreal on Thursday to repatriate to Ukraine the civilians, prisoners of warfare and kids taken by Russia because it invaded the nation.
Canadian International Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly mentioned the international locations agreed to coordinate efforts to assemble details about Ukrainians held in Russia and to create secure pathways for his or her return.
“Human lives should be protected. Kids, civilians and prisoners of warfare should be allowed to return residence,” she mentioned throughout a press convention on the shut of a two-day summit on the human dimension of the warfare.
Ukrainian International Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned practically 42,000 Ukrainians are lacking, and that nearly 20,000 youngsters have been deported to Russia. He mentioned 860 Ukrainian youngsters have been returned residence to this point.
Joly mentioned Thursday’s joint declaration will assist co-ordinate current efforts to find lacking Ukrainians. She mentioned Qatar, South Africa and the Holy See have agreed to behave as intermediaries to barter the return of prisoners of warfare, civilians and kids. Lithuania and Qatar will act as transit international locations for Ukrainians who’re launched.
Officers didn’t launch an inventory of the greater than 70 international locations who despatched delegations to Montreal this week, and it was unclear which international locations had signed the pledge as of Thursday night. However a number of main gamers weren’t current, together with China, India and Brazil. Mexico and South Africa did attend the convention.
Joly mentioned many international locations felt “direct strain from Russia” to not attend the summit. “Russia made many representations in lots of capitals of the world saying that they need to not come to Montreal,” she mentioned. “It reveals that what we’re doing is shedding gentle on a problem that embarrasses Russia.”
The ICC beforehand issued arrest warrants for each Russian President Vladimir Putin and his youngsters’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of the warfare crimes of illegal deportation of youngsters and illegal switch of youngsters from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. Moscow has rejected the allegations.
