MONTREAL — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on countries around the world to do everything possible to repatriate Ukrainian children taken by Russia.

Trudeau addressed delegations from more than 70 countries at a conference in Montreal this morning, as they prepare a joint declaration for the return of Ukrainian children, civilians and prisoners of war.

He said Ukrainians are looking to the international community to do everything it can to protect their country’s people and its identity, after the Russian invasion that began in February 2022.

His speech followed video testimony from a Ukrainian teenager who recounted his kidnapping and the obligations imposed by his Russian guards before he could reunite with his family.

The Ukrainian government estimates that 19,500 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia and 1,800 civilians are unlawfully detained in the country, a senior Canadian official told The Canadian Press during a background briefing on Wednesday.

The two-day conference will wrap up with a press conference this afternoon hosted by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.

The Canadian Press