119-hres564

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 564 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 564

Calling for the return of abducted Ukrainian children before finalizing 
 any peace agreement to end the war against Ukraine.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 30, 2025

 Mr. McCaul (for himself and Mr. Meeks) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

Calling for the return of abducted Ukrainian children before finalizing 
 any peace agreement to end the war against Ukraine.

Whereas the United States Government is working to bring an end to Russia's war 
 against Ukraine and restore peace in Europe;
Whereas, as of April 16, 2025, Ukrainian authorities have received at least 
 19,546 confirmed reports of unlawful deportations and forced transfers 
 of Ukrainian children to the territory of the Russian Federation, the 
 Republic of Belarus, or Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory;
Whereas, as of April 16, 2025, Ukraine and its partners have managed to return 
 1,274 abducted Ukrainian children from the Russian Federation, the 
 Republic of Belarus, or occupied Ukrainian territory;
Whereas Russia's abduction and Russification of Ukrainian children demonstrates 
 the intent of the Government of the Russian Federation to erase the 
 Ukrainian nation and identity;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has changed its adoption laws 
 since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 for the purpose of 
 forcibly adopting children abducted from Ukraine in order to raise them 
 as Russian citizens, erased of their Ukrainian names, language, and 
 identity;
Whereas, on June 16, 2022, Russian authorities announced that children born in 
 occupied Ukrainian territories after the February 24, 2022, invasion 
 will be deemed Russian citizens, in violation of Ukrainian law and the 
 Fourth Geneva Convention;
Whereas the Department of State's 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report found that 
 Russia recruits or uses child soldiers as defined under the Child 
 Soldiers Prevention Act, is documented as having a state-sponsored 
 policy or pattern of human trafficking, and is among the worst hubs for 
 human trafficking in the world;
Whereas the United States has sanctioned at least 32 individuals and three 
 entities of the Russian Federation and its occupying forces and the 
 Republic of Belarus for being involved in the abduction and re-education 
 of Ukrainian children and human rights violations of Ukrainian minors;
Whereas Maria Lvova-Belova, Children's Rights Commissioner for the President of 
 Russia, admitted to abducting and forcibly transferring Ukrainian 
 children and facilitating forced adoptions to Russian families;
Whereas the unlawful deportation or transfer of protected people constitutes a 
 grave breach of the Geneva Convention
            (IV) relative to the Protection of 
 Civilian Persons in Time of War, Article 147, done at Geneva August 12, 
 1949;
Whereas forcibly transferring children of one group to another group is a 
 violation of Article II

    (e) of the Genocide Convention, of which the 
 Russian Federation is a party; and
Whereas hundreds of thousands of children still reside in the occupied 
 territories of Ukraine, where they face attempts at Russification by 
 occupation authorities; Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) condemns the Government of the Russian Federation's 
 abduction, forcible transfer, and facilitation of the illegal 
 deportation of Ukrainian children;

    (2) notes with concern that the invasion of Ukraine by the 
 Russian Federation has significantly increased the risks of 
 children being exposed to human trafficking and exploitation, 
 child labor, sexual violence, hunger, injury, trauma, 
 deprivation of education and shelter, and death;

    (3) supports bringing the war in Ukraine to a peaceful and 
 just conclusion; and

    (4) urges that all Ukrainian children abducted by the 
 Government of the Russian Federation be returned before 
 finalizing any peace agreement.
 <all>