The Netherlands and Germany want to pay more attention to (orphaned) Ukrainian children who have been kidnapped by the Russians. “It concerns tens of thousands of children,” says Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra. He believes that more attention should be paid to these “heinous crimes”.
Hoekstra announced the initiative during a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Annalina Berbock. She was visiting The Hague on Monday. The minister said the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
Burbock said the children were “illegally abducted from territories annexed by Russia and released for adoption.” “There is little insight into what is happening in these occupied areas, but the fate of the children should not be forgotten.”
criminal practices
This deliberate policy by the Russians tears families apart and traumatizes children
Officials want to pay more attention to it internationally. That is why they will cooperate with the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the International Criminal Court. Burbock said the children involved should be returned to their parents, the perpetrators should be held accountable and the children returned should receive psychological help. This deliberate policy by the Russians tears families apart and traumatizes children. Hoekstra said. Russia must put an end to these criminal practices.
More weapons
The German minister did not want to comment further on the possibility of delivering modern battle tanks to Ukraine. There is a lot of international pressure on the government in Berlin to allow this. This will be discussed again on Friday at a meeting in Ramstein, Germany. Poland and Finland have already agreed to donate some German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine. The German government should give permission for this, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz in particular seems reluctant. “The discussion is still ongoing,” said Burbock.
Hoekstra made it clear that Ukraine should get more weapons. “It is crystal clear to us. Whatever we do, the only way to resolve this conflict is on the battlefield. So more weapons are needed. If we pause, stop or limit our efforts, everything we have done so far will be in vain.”
The Netherlands has already provided military equipment worth 1 billion euros to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was done in part with Germany, such as the delivery of howitzers.
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