Nearly 20,000 abducted children remain in Russian institutions. While in Russia, the Ukrainian children's citizenship is being changed, they are being transferred to Russian families, and should they want to return to their country, any attempts to cross the Russian border are rejected. Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova openly declared the intention of ''settling'' over 700,000 Ukrainian children in Russia.

This criminal policy led to the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant for both Vladimir Putin and Lvova-Belova.

The systematic, large-scale and premeditated forced displacement and deportation of Ukrainian children bear all the hallmarks of a state policy deliberately enacted.

This horrific practice, which began with the occupation of Crimea in 2014, is not only a blatant violation of international law but also a calculated assault on Ukrainian society and its future.

In response to the problem of such magnitude, the Bring Kids Back UA platform was initiated by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine, together with Canada, launched the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, which was joined by 41 countries and the Council of Europe.

We hope that the Republic of Korea will join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. I am certain that South Korea's participation would help to coordinate global efforts and contribute to worldwide awareness that the children must be returned home, and their best interests protected.