Slovakia joins coalition for the return of Ukrainian children taken by Russia

What happened

Slovakia has joined the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, Slovak Foreign Ministry State Secretary Marek Eštok said on X. On Monday, 2 November, he met the ambassadors of Ukraine and Canada and formally handed them a diplomatic note on accession.

“By joining, Slovakia contributes to international efforts to ensure the safe return of Ukrainian children who were illegally deported or forcibly displaced during the war,” Eštok wrote.

What else Bratislava does

The state secretary said Slovakia’s support for Ukrainian children goes beyond the coalition: it has helped repair school shelters in Ukraine, hosted children of Ukrainian rescuers and police officers, and enrolled thousands of Ukrainian children in its education system. “Our common goal is to see these children safely reunited with their families and back home,” he said.

Context

The International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, co-chaired by Ukraine and Canada, began work in February 2024 when its framework document was presented in Kyiv. It operates alongside the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA. International bodies treat the forced transfer of children from occupied territories to Russia as a possible war crime: in March 2023 the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Russia’s “children’s rights commissioner” Maria Lvova-Belova over the deportation of children.

Why it matters

Slovakia is Ukraine’s neighbour, and its government has in recent years often been critical of military aid to Kyiv. Joining a humanitarian coalition shows that the return of children remains an issue on which Ukraine can rally broader support in Europe.