Montreal summit ends with pledge to return Ukrainian children deported to Russia

More than 45 nations signed a promise successful Montreal to repatriate to Ukraine nan civilians, prisoners of warfare and children taken by Russia since it invaded nan country

MONTREAL -- More than 45 nations signed a promise successful Montreal connected Thursday to repatriate to Ukraine nan civilians, prisoners of warfare and children taken by Russia since it invaded nan country.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said nan countries agreed to coordinate efforts to stitchery accusation astir Ukrainians held successful Russia and to create safe pathways for their return.

“Human lives must beryllium protected. Children, civilians and prisoners of warfare must beryllium allowed to return home,” she said during a property convention astatine nan adjacent of a two-day acme connected nan quality magnitude of nan war.

Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha said astir 42,000 Ukrainians are missing, and that almost 20,000 children person been deported to Russia. He said 860 Ukrainian children person been returned location to date.

Joly said Thursday’s associated declaration will thief co-ordinate existing efforts to find missing Ukrainians. She said Qatar, South Africa and nan Holy See person agreed to enactment arsenic intermediaries to discuss nan return of prisoners of war, civilians and children. Lithuania and Qatar will enactment arsenic transit countries for Ukrainians who are released.

Officials did not merchandise a database of nan much than 70 countries who sent delegations to Montreal this week, and it was unclear which countries had signed nan promise arsenic of Thursday evening. But respective awesome players were not present, including China, India and Brazil. Mexico and South Africa did be nan conference.

Joly said galore countries felt “direct unit from Russia” not to be nan summit. “Russia made galore representations successful galore capitals of nan world saying that they should not travel to Montreal,” she said. “It shows that what we’re doing is shedding ray connected an rumor that embarrasses Russia.”

The ICC antecedently issued apprehension warrants for some Russian President Vladimir Putin and his children’s authorities commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of nan warfare crimes of unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transportation of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. Moscow has rejected nan allegations.