91 countries, including Georgia, back UN resolution urging Russia to return abducted Ukrainian children

The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution during a special emergency session, demanding that the Russian Federation immediately and unconditionally return all Ukrainian children who have been illegally transferred or deported since the start of the war.

The resolution passed with 91 votes in favour, with 12 against and 57 abstentions.

Among the supporters was Georgia. Other backers included countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Sweden, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

In the vote against the resolution were Russia itself and 11 other countries, including Belarus, Iran, Nicaragua, Cuba and Mali.

Fifty-seven states abstained from voting, among them China, India, Brazil and Armenia.

The adopted resolution “demands that the Russian Federation ensure the immediate, safe and unconditional return of all Ukrainian children who have been forcibly transferred or deported”. It also calls on Moscow to stop any further deportations, family separations, changes of children’s personal status (including citizenship or adoption), and any practices of indoctrination.

According to Ukrainian officials, at least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been deported or transferred by Russia since the start of the war; only around 1,850 have been returned so far.