AJR151

A Joint Resolution condemning Russia’s removal of children from Ukraine.

Whereas, In 1994, several years after the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, whereby each country pledged to respect the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine’s borders while refraining from the threat or use of force against Ukraine; and

Whereas, In 2014, the Russian Federation invaded the independent state of Ukraine, annexed Crimea, instigated conflict in the eastern regions of the country, and threatened Ukraine’s freedom of navigation of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov; and

Whereas, On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation declared war and began a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in violation of international law; and

Whereas, Russian forces in Ukraine have reportedly committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, massacring Ukrainian civilians, deliberately targeting civilian buildings, and breaking ceasefire agreements with Ukraine on numerous occasions; and

Whereas, Ukraine has reported that more than 19,500 children have been illegally deported from the country, estimating that the real number could be much greater, while only approximately 1,900 children have been returned; and

Whereas, The Russian Federation allegedly targets vulnerable groups of children for deportation, including orphans, children with disabilities, children from low-income families, and children with parents in the military; and

Whereas, Many of the deported Ukrainian children are reportedly sent to one of the more than 210 Russian militarization and “patriotic re-education” camps scattered across Russia, Belarus, Russian-occupied Ukraine, and North Korea; and

Whereas, In these camps, children are reportedly subjected to Russian propaganda, forbidden from speaking Ukrainian, and taught a distorted history to erase their national identity; and

Whereas, In some camps, children are reportedly trained to operate drones, dig trenches, mine areas, and use grenades and firearms; and

Whereas, Some of these children have reportedly been physically abused, denied communication with their families in Ukraine, and given inadequate access to food and care after being taken to Russia; and

Whereas, There are reports that some children have been illegally adopted or forcibly placed into Russian families; and

Whereas, In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova due to these illegal deportations; and

Whereas, Such treatment of children is a violation of human rights and abhorrent to the Legislature and this State; and

Whereas, New Jersey and the United States support the return of every illegally deported child back to Ukraine; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. This State condemns the illegal removal of children from Ukraine by Russia and supports each child’s swift and immediate return home.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the President and Vice President of the United States, Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, each member of Congress elected from this State, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, the United States ambassador to Ukraine, and the United States ambassador to the United Nations.

3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This joint resolution condemns the illegal removal of children from Ukraine by Russia and supports each child’s swift and immediate return home.

In 1994, several years after the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, whereby each country pledged to respect the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine’s borders while refraining from the threat or use of force against Ukraine.

In 2014, the Russian Federation invaded the independent state of Ukraine and annexed Crimea. On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation declared war and began a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in violation of international law. Russian forces in Ukraine have reportedly committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Ukraine has reported that more than 19,500 children have been illegally deported from the country, estimating that the real number could be much greater, while only approximately 1,900 children have been returned. The Russian Federation allegedly targets vulnerable groups of children for deportation, including orphans, children with disabilities, children from low-income families, and children with parents in the military.

Many of the deported Ukrainian children are reportedly sent to one of the more than 210 Russian militarization and “patriotic re-education” camps scattered across Russia, Belarus, Russian-occupied Ukraine, and North Korea. In these camps, children are reportedly subjected to Russian propaganda, forbidden from speaking Ukrainian, and taught a distorted history to erase their national identity. In some camps, children are reportedly trained to operate drones, dig trenches, mine areas, and use grenades and firearms. Some of these children have reportedly been physically abused, denied communication with their families in Ukraine, and given inadequate access to food and care after being taken to Russia. There are reports that some children have been illegally adopted or forcibly placed into Russian families.

In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova due to these illegal deportations.

Such treatment of children is a violation of human rights and abhorrent to the people of New Jersey. New Jersey and the United States support the return of every illegally deported child back to Ukraine.