Canada doubles down on reunification of Ukrainian children ‘stolen’ by Russia: Anand – National
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canada’s ongoing work to secure the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russian officials shows how Ottawa is trying to work with a number of countries to advance practical, humanitarian goals.
In an interview before Monday’s summit in Brussels, Anand said Ottawa was focused on what it could gain from the Ukrainian people, rather than Russia committing an act of genocide.
“For me, the important question is, what are we doing here and now, what are we doing to bring Ukrainian children home,” he told The Canadian Press.
“Issues regarding the names and classification of Russia’s illegal and unjustified attacks will be heard in the international court system. We all know that Russia’s actions are against international law — they are criminal and we will do everything we can to bring Russia to justice.”
In 2024, the Trudeau government launched an international coalition with Ukraine that sought the return of Ukrainian children who had been kidnapped during the war. Canada is holding a Monday summit of that alliance in Brussels to review those efforts.
As of March 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin and a senior Russian official have been subject to arrest by the International Criminal Court on charges of illegal deportation and rendition of children.
Ukraine and its allies believe that Russia has successfully abducted 20,000 children; about 2,000 of them have returned. Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab believes that there are actually 35,000 Ukrainian children being held by force in Russia, parts of Ukraine and Belarus.
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Moscow has rejected these claims and has sometimes suggested that children be voluntarily brought to safety, especially orphans. Russian officials have also said that Ukrainian culture does not exist, especially in large parts of Ukraine where people speak Russian.
Despite Russia’s claims, human rights organizations have documented cases of children being forcibly adopted from Russian families where they were made to reject Ukrainian culture. They report that some of the kidnapped children are being trained for war.
“When these children are stolen from their families, in many cases, they undergo an indoctrination process, where they are forced to learn Russian, forced to sing Russian songs, forced to pray in the Russian language and adopt the culture of the Russian people,” said Anand.
Although the coalition has succeeded in reuniting some families, it faces challenges in identifying children and maintaining contact amid the ongoing conflict.
The coalition is meeting this week to look at how new funding can help identify and contact these children, and to review efforts to gather evidence for cases that may one day be prosecuted.
“Families are the foundation of communities and strong communities ensure a strong country. So this is the foundation, in my estimation, of the work that Canada can do around the world,” Anand said.
Qatar acted as a liaison between Moscow and Kyiv to facilitate the return of the children. The program was funded by countries outside of Europe, including Chile and Argentina, whose governments had very different political views.
Anand said this is an example of the government’s “networking” approach to working with close and new partners to advance specific, shared goals.
Before the conference begins in Brussels, Anand will participate in the European Union’s foreign affairs council, which coordinates the organization’s foreign policy, to discuss Ukraine. The council rarely includes non-European ministers in its discussions, notes Anand.
“The magnitude of the Canadian effort is enormous,” he said. “I believe that is one of the reasons why I was asked and invited to attend the FAC.”
He will also meet with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte as part of his ongoing push to make the alliance more focused on Arctic security.
Anand said he would also talk to his Belgian counterpart, Maxime Prévot, about the broader policy of Ukraine. He said the discussion will touch on Canada’s push for Russian assets to be seized from abroad and confiscated to fund the war in Ukraine. Most of Russia’s bank reserves abroad reside in Brussels Euroclear bank accounts.
European countries have so far only taken interest earned on Russian accounts. Belgium has rejected the idea of issuing a real currency, saying it would put the country at greater risk and scare away investors.
After Brussels, Anand will head to Oman and Qatar to discuss both regional issues and Ukraine.
“Everywhere I go I raise the importance of bringing the family together,” he said.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
