U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers are pushing for Russia to return the more than 19,000 Ukrainian children who have been abducted since the war began.
During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing last week, Britt said the abductions go “to the heart of every parent across our nation.”
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‘Moral obligation’
“I think we have a moral obligation to keep this going until we get every last one of them back into their parents’ arms,” Britt said.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States Olha Stefanishyna, said that Russia is “reprogramming” the thousands of children who have been taken from their homes and teaching them to fear the country they came from. She said getting Russia to return Ukrainian children is a central part of finding peace.
“Their return is a basic prerequisite for justice, for sovereignty, and for any sustainable peace,” Stefanishyna said in written testimony.
In September, a group of senators, including Britt and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, introduced legislation to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism for the abduction of Ukrainian children.
‘Brutality and inhumanity’
Blumenthal recounted how his conversations with some of the rescued children will stay with him forever. He said the abducted children who were taken to Russia had their names and citizenships changed.
“I cannot describe to you the absolute brutality and inhumanity with which they were treated,” he said during the hearing.
Britt called for European nations to join the fight to bring Ukrainian children back home.
“You cannot be a great nation if you are unwilling to do good, ” Britt said. “And there is no doubt that these kids need us.”
On Thursday, U.S. First Lady Melania Trump announced seven more children, six boys and one girl, were reunited with their families in Ukraine. To date, 1,850 children have been returned home, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Also last week, the United States joined other UN countries in voting for a resolution demanding that Russia ensure the safe return of all the Ukrainian children.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Alex Angle and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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