Russia hands back four Ukrainian children abducted as part of a diplomatic agreement with Qatar

Russia has agreed to return four Ukrainian children to their families, following a deal facilitated by Qatar. This move is part of a pilot program aimed at repatriating the numerous children who were abducted by Russia during its full-scale invasion last year. The four children range in age from two to 17 years old. Ukrainian authorities have identified approximately 20,000 children taken by Russia. In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, over the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. Russia has argued that its actions were driven by humanitarian concerns, claiming it evacuated the children to protect them from danger, while disregarding the indictment. This repatriation of the four children will serve as a test for a scheme developed by Qatar, which acted as a mediator in talks between Moscow and Kyiv. If successful, it could pave the way for further repatriations. Qatari minister Lolwah Al Khater acknowledged the mediation efforts and expressed optimism that this step would lead to more initiatives that de-escalate tensions and foster trust between both parties. However, bringing the children out of Russia has not been straightforward, with at least one child having to travel through several countries to return home. So far, one of the four children, a seven-year-old, has been reunited with their grandmother and arrived in Ukraine. The remaining three children are also expected to arrive in Ukraine soon. These children are among the thousands who were forcibly separated from their families, taken to Russia, and faced with attempts to strip them of their Ukrainian identity. In some cases, Ukrainian families have had to undertake arduous journeys into Russia to retrieve their children.