Russian diplomat Vasily Nebenzya insists Ukrainian children will be returned once it is safe to do so

Russian diplomat Vasily Nebenzya insists Ukrainian children will be returned once it is safe to do so

Image of Vasily Nebenzya. Credit: Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Ukrainian children removed from the conflict zone will be returned once it is safe to do so insisted the Russian diplomat Vasily Nebenzya.

Speaking at a press conference this Monday, March 20, Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, stated that Russia intends to return all of the children evacuated from the conflict zone to Ukraine when safe conditions are created there.

“We wanted to protect them from the danger that military operations could bring. The issue of children “forcibly sent to Russia” is completely inflated”, the Russian diplomat insisted. “We want to demonstrate this at an informal meeting of the Security Council. When the conditions are safe, of course, we will return them, why not”, he added, as reported by tass.ru.

The alleged movement of Ukrainian children from the conflict zones led to the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant last Friday 17. The Hague court made the warrant for both President Vladimir Putin, and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights.

Its issuance brought a strong response from the Kremlin. Dmitry Peskov, the presidential Press Secretary insisted that the warrant was illegally void. He also pointed out that Russia was one of the nations that did not recognise the authority of the ICC.

“We consider the very posing of the question outrageous and unacceptable, Russia, like a number of states, does not recognise the jurisdiction of this court and, accordingly, any decisions of this kind are null and void for the Russian Federation from the point of view of law”, stated the Kremlin spokesman.

That is, in fact, the only thing I would like and could tell you about this decision”, he added. Peskov did not comment on the clarifying question of whether this court decision will affect Putin’s visits to countries that do recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC. “I have nothing to add on this topic”, he concluded.

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Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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