Canada will co-host an international conference in Toronto later this month aimed at securing the return of Ukrainian children, detained civilians and prisoners of war held by Russia.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced Saturday that Canada, Ukraine and Norway will host the two-day conference on Sept. 28 and 29.
The event, called Pathways to Peace: Second International Conference on Returning Ukrainian Children, Detained Civilians, and Prisoners of War, will bring together foreign ministers, senior government representatives and international organizations.
“Canada, Ukraine and Norway are convening the conference to strengthen international support for efforts to bring people home, protect those who remain under Russian control and ensure that those who return can access rehabilitation and reintegration services,” Global Affairs Canada said in a statement.
Ukrainian authorities have documented 20,651 cases of possible unlawful deportation or forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by Russia, according to the federal government.
So far, 2,573 children have been returned from deportation, forcible transfer and temporarily occupied territories.
As of June, Ukraine’s parliamentary commissioner for human rights had confirmed 1,878 civilians were being unlawfully detained by Russia. Global Affairs Canada said the true number could be significantly higher, with some civil society organizations estimating that as many as 20,000 civilians could be detained.
Ukraine does not disclose the exact number of its prisoners of war being held by Russia.
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As of August, 9,529 Ukrainian military personnel and civilians had been returned from Russian captivity, according to Global Affairs Canada.
Participants in Toronto will discuss ways to strengthen tracing and information sharing and establish pathways for people to return to Ukraine.
The conference will also focus on humanitarian access and family contact for those who remain under Russian control.
The gathering comes as Russia intensifies its air campaign against Ukraine.
Russian strikes killed eight civilians and wounded dozens more across Ukraine on Saturday, according to local officials.
Two people were killed when Russian drones struck a residential area in Zaporizhzhia, while another person was killed in Kryvyi Rih. In Odesa and the surrounding region, 35 people were wounded in what regional officials described as a “massive attack.”
Three people were also killed when drones struck vehicles in Kramatorsk, while two others died in a Russian attack on a grocery store in the Zhytomyr region.
The attacks came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the deployment of European troops to Ukraine would mean direct conflict with Russia.
“Now they’re talking about how they’re considering sending troops into Ukraine. That means a war with Russia,” Putin said Friday during a summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies in India.
Some European leaders have pledged support for a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine as part of a future peace agreement, a proposal Moscow has repeatedly rejected.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said in an interview published Saturday that he would be willing to meet Putin if both leaders were invited to the G20 summit in Miami in December.
Canada has committed more than $26 billion in multifaceted support to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, including more than $750 million for recovery and reconstruction, according to the federal government.
– With files from The Canadian Press
Canada are the experts on stealing children and genocide after all
There are no stolen children. Why would Russia want brats? There are orphans, who have gone to relatives. Many are in Russia, so they went there. Why is anyone pushing this nonsense? Ukraine is documenting lies.
There are no ‘detained civilians’ once Russia liberates an area, the citizens are free to attend school, go shopping, continue their lives as normal. Ukraine (obviously biased) only claims 1,878,so why would anyone think that more would exist? – beyond belief.
It is good to meet and exchange prisoners of war.
BTW: it is not temporary occupied territories, it is annexed territories. It is permanent…
Canada should be spending money here at home. When all is said and done with this garbage, the world should be treating Russia like a pariah state and cut them off completely. But they won’t. In the end, money hungry corporations and dirty politicians will let the almighty dollar rule and Russia will go on like they never did anything. Poor leaders. Stop spending our money Carny. It’s not yours to throw away.
Remember when Trudeau told our vets that they were asking for more than he could give? Well now Carney has just announced that he will be giving $40.1 million to vets …. Not Canadian vets ….. Ukranian vets !!!
Anonymous the village idiot has spoken…..
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Israel just kills the women and children!
These are crimes against humanity! Civilians, especially children should not be pawns in any war! Putin is a monster!
Best, his mom shat him out, now he blows libs 24/7
Russia is the aggressor yet you see people supporting her. Russia (then USSR) and the US broke the 1990’s agreement to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity. They want us to appease the Russians like the pre WW2 leaders did to Germany.
Anonymous the village idiot. Or what neighbours used to call Pillock, Div or Prat…
Remember when Ukraine was aerially-deploying small plastic antipersonnel mines in civilian areas of the disputed territories? Ones that children would find and be killed or wounded by?
Anonymous the village idiot
I just want to read headline that Putin finally got to zelenskyy, good riddance to rubbish
Ukrainians would rather leave Canada and go home. They are better off in a war zone. Tells you what you need to know about Canada under the Carney regime
No wonder taxes are so high in Canada and the average Canadian is barely eking out a living, with many on the street and long lines at food banks…
Carney should stop kidnapping children