Ukraine, Canada, and Norway issue open appeal to return Ukrainian children, POWs and civilians from Russia

Foreign ministries of Ukraine, Canada and Norway issued a joint appeal during a Toronto conference this week calling for coordinated international action to return Ukrainian children, detained civilians, and prisoners of war held in Russia. The appeal describes forcibly transferred children stripped of their language and identity, civilians held without due process or medical care, and POWs subjected to reported torture and sexual violence, per independent monitoring bodies.

The conference builds on a 2024 ministerial meeting in Montreal and aims to coordinate governments, international organizations and civil society around return, rehabilitation and reintegration efforts. The three countries frame the returns as both a humanitarian necessity and a precondition for any credible peace process.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.