00:00The Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University now estimates that over 35,000
00:11abducted Ukrainian kids are being held by Russia. The few who have been rescued
00:20tell horrific stories of Russian indoctrination, illegal militarization,
00:28and brutal punishment for refusing to give up their Ukrainian identity.
00:36Here are some stories from kids who were rescued, courtesy of an organization called
00:44Bring Kids Back Ukraine. Quote, the Russians said that my mother did not need me and that I would
00:54be given to a foster family in Russia, end of quote, said 12-year-old Kander from Maripol.
01:06I wanted to escape through the backyard, but was afraid that they would shoot me,
01:12so I had to get in a truck with them. It was so scary, end of quote, said 13-year-old Artyom from Kharkiv.
01:26Another story is from these six children, Vitalia, Xenia, Tanya, and Dayana,
01:39and then, of course, two other girls who asked not to be named.
01:43They said in September and October 2022, they came to the occupied Crimean Peninsula for what was called
01:56a rehabilitation program. They say they were mocked in the camp, humiliated based on their nationality.
02:07The Russians locked children like these folks who expressed pro-Ukrainian positions in a basement
02:18or an isolation cell. They forbade children to speak Ukrainian and instead forced them to listen
02:28to the Russian national anthem, learn Russian patriotic songs, and to do hard work.
02:37For at least six months, the Russians lied to children that their parents had allegedly abandoned them,
02:47and in general, that Ukraine no longer needed these children.
02:54Now, as the Trump administration moves forward to secure a peace,
03:01we must not forget the plight of these children.
03:07I appreciated very much First Lady Melania Trump's heartfelt letter urging Putin to release
03:17these kids, and I also heard that President Zelensky mentioned those letters and the children
03:24at a recent White House meeting.
03:26So, children should not become bargaining chips in the geopolitical negotiations.
03:36Their safe return must be prioritized before any final peace agreement is reached.
03:44I yield the floor to suggest the absence of the forum.
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