The aggressor state, Russia, is illegally detaining more than 14,000 citizens of Ukraine, and the task of returning them is the most difficult.
Points of attention
- The return of the civilian population from Russian captivity becomes a challenge for Ukraine due to the lack of opportunities for exchange or influence on the Russian Federation.
- Dmytro Lubinets announced the development of a new mechanism for the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity after the Peace Summit in Switzerland.
- Ukraine is taking all possible measures to return children and citizens who are considered missing, including with the help of the Vatican.
The return of the civilian population to Ukraine is the most difficult job
This was stated by Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets on the sidelines of the Prayer Breakfast under the patronage of the President, held in Kyiv.
Returning three categories of citizens of Ukraine — children, prisoners of war, civilians — it is the most difficult work for civilians.
Dmytro Lubinets
Commissioner for human rights
The commissioner explained that in the case of civilians, it is not about exchange, as in the case of prisoners of war, but rather about return.
We cannot change them, we do not directly have any additional influence on the Russian Federation. We don't even have a legal basis on the basis of which we can conduct this process, he added.
Lubinets reminded that Ukraine is also making every effort to return almost 20,000 children and "tens of thousands" of people who are considered missing.
He specified that this was the first time that the Vatican, which previously provided assistance only in the case of children, took part in the return of Ukrainians home.
Until now, they (the Vatican) helped us with the return of Ukrainian children. We are in direct communication with them. I hope that just this return will be a new point... Perhaps a new channel of both communications and the return of Ukrainian civilians has finally opened, said the human rights commissioner.
Lubinets announced a new mechanism for the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, said that following the results of the Peace Summit in Switzerland, the participating countries developed a new mechanism for the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity.
A new mechanism for the return of Ukrainian civilians will soon appear, Lubinets noted.
Lubinets noted that he could not reveal the mechanism itself in more detail yet.
He emphasized that the issue of the return of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia, as well as prisoners of war, was actively discussed at the Peace Summit in Switzerland.
According to him, a number of countries participating in the Summit have declared their own possibilities for assistance in the return of Ukrainian citizens from Russian captivity.
