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STORY: UNGA80 / UKRAINIAN CHILDREN
TRT: 03:38
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 23 SEPTEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations headquarters
2. Wide shot, Conference Room 2
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Volodymyr Zelensky, President, Ukraine:
“Thousands and thousands of our children are victims of Russia's double crime. Russia first abducted them and deported them, and now it tries to steal everything they have inside - their culture, their character, their bond with family and their identity.”
4. Wide shot, Conference Room 2
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Volodymyr Zelensky, President, Ukraine:
“It is fair and symbolic that that forced crime Putin has been charged with is his crime against children, and I thank every country that enforced the ICC warrant for Putin and others guilty of abducting children. This matters, and it must not be forgiven.”
6. Wide shot, Conference Room 2
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Volodymyr Zelensky, President, Ukraine:
“And this year, we will introduce a resolution condemning the abduction and deportation of children. Forcibly taking children from one nation and trying to reeducate them for the benefit of another is an obvious crime. The UN must say this clearly once again, so the crime must be stopped. The felons must be held accountable. Ukrainian children must be brought home.”
8. Wide shot, Conference Room 2
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Joseph Carney, Prime Minister, Canada:
“Putin has caused this terrible tragedy that has claimed in the war lives of millions. He menaces the skies of Ukraine, threatens the cities, destroys the field. Putin has stolen Ukrainian children.”
10. Wide shot, Conference Room 2
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Joseph Carney, Prime Minister, Canada:
“We can help secure a durable peace, but that peace is only truly peace with the reunification of children with their family, with their homeland, and we will not rest until it happens. Slava to Ukraine.”
12. Wide shot, Conference Room 2
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Olena Zelenska, First Lady, Ukraine:
“We can help these children reclaim their childhood and rebuild their lives. Many return without homes, parents or security. Most suffer psychological trauma and require support. That is why my colleagues, and I are working in these three areas. First area is family and shelter. It is crucial for a child to return to their biological family or find a new foster family. And through their Room for Childhood Project, my foundation, for example, builds houses for foster families, provides transport and ensures humanitarian aid so children can grow up in warmth and care.”
14. Wide shot, Conference Room 2
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Olena Zelenska, First Lady, Ukraine:
“The second point is reintegration of healing. We organize psychological rehabilitation camps, cultural and educational exchanges, provide psychological assistance, giving children the chance to feel safe, to smile and to dream again.”
16. Wide shot, Conference Room 2
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Olena Zelenska, First Lady, Ukraine:
“Independent living: many abducted as children are now young adults without homes or families. Ukraine is creating social apartments and supported housing for them.”
18. Wide shot, Conference Room 2
“Thousands and thousands of our children are victims of Russia's double crime,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the United Nations on Tuesday. “Russia first abducted them and deported them, and now it tries to steal everything they have inside – their culture, their character, their bond with family and their identity.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly at the event Restoring Childhood and Humanity: Advancing Peace in Ukraine Through the Return of Ukrainian Children, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney - co-chairs of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children - convened leaders from interested states to discuss concrete steps to bring children home and restore their rights, safety and dignity.
Zelensky said it was “fair and symbolic” that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been charged by the International Criminal Court with crimes against children. “I thank every country that enforced the ICC warrant for Putin and others guilty of abducting children. This matters, and it must not be forgiven,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader announced that Kyiv will introduce a resolution this year condemning the abduction and deportation of children. “Forcibly taking children from one nation and trying to reeducate them for the benefit of another is an obvious crime. The UN must say this clearly once again, so the crime must be stopped. The felons must be held accountable. Ukrainian children must be brought home,” Zelensky said.
Canadian Prime Minister Carney said, “Putin has caused this terrible tragedy that has claimed in the war lives of millions. He menaces the skies of Ukraine, threatens the cities, destroys the field. Putin has stolen Ukrainian children.”
Carney added that true peace could only come with the return of those children “and we will not rest until it happens.”
Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska pointed to Ukraine’s own efforts as examples of how to support children who have come back. “We can help these children reclaim their childhood and rebuild their lives. Many return without homes, parents or security. Most suffer psychological trauma and require support,” she said.
She described three areas of work that Ukrainian NGOs are working towards: family and shelter, reintegration, and independent living. “Through their Room for Childhood Project, my foundation, for example, builds houses for foster families, provides transport and ensures humanitarian aid so children can grow up in warmth and care.”
On reintegration, she said: “We organize psychological rehabilitation camps, cultural and educational exchanges, provide psychological assistance, giving children the chance to feel safe, to smile and to dream again.”
And on independent living, she noted: “Many abducted as children are now young adults without homes or families. Ukraine is creating social apartments and supported housing for them.”
