KYIV (Reuters) – Talks being mediated by Saudi Arabia and Turkey on the repatriation of Ukrainian thousands of children taken to Russia since Moscow’s invasion have been under way since at least April, a source with knowledge of the discussions said on Wednesday.
The source confirmed a Financial Times report that Riyadh and Istanbul were trying to broker a deal to bring home children who have been have been taken to Russia and placed in children’s homes or adopted by Russian families.
Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out illegal deportations. Moscow, which controls parts of Ukraine’s east and south, denies abducting children and says they have been transported away for their own safety.
“The Turks and the Saudis especially have been showing an interest in bringing Ukrainian children back,” the source, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters.
The source said talks had been going on since April but also said they could have started earlier.
The Financial Times, quoting four people familiar with the talks, said on Tuesday that discussions had been under way for several months.
The source did not indicate to Reuters how the talks were going, but expressed doubt that a deal would be reached because it would depend on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“For him to give (the children) back would mean that he agrees that he’s a war criminal,” the source said.
Russian and Turkish officials did not immediately respond torequests for comment. Saudi Arabia did not comment on the Financial Times article.
The source said Riyadh had won trust after helping last year to negotiate one of the largest prisoner swaps since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. About 300 Ukrainians returned home under the exchange, including commanders who fought a long battle for the city of Mariupol.
Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since last year’s invasion. Ukrainian official figures show 385 children have been repatriated so far.
In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, accusing them of abducting children from Ukraine.
Russia rejects the ICC allegations, saying it does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction and calling the warrants null and void.
(Reporting by Max Hunder; writing by Olena Harmash; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
