The United States “absolutely does not believe” that Russia has military leverage over Ukraine

Ukrainian children were greeted by their relatives Tuesday evening as they left Belarus, in the latest transfer of children taken to Russia and war-occupied territories. Ukrainian mediator Dmytro Lubinets told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that this is the fourth group of children brought back thanks to Qatari mediation, the largest so far (eleven in total).

Their relatives waited for more than six hours at a crossing point used for humanitarian purposes as the children – the youngest was 2 – emerged from the darkness, before a long hug.

“I’m happy, and that’s it”, says Oleksandr, 16, the oldest. Smiling shyly, he sums up his feelings “Happiness and a little nervousness, but otherwise all good”. “My first thought is that my new life is really starting. »

Her aunt Viktoria, 47, says her nephew, originally from Cvirodonetsk (in eastern Ukraine), was living in a house in the Luhansk region in July 2022 when his mother and older brother died when their car was bombed as they tried to escape. . to evacuate.

Oleksandr, who told her he sometimes dreams of his dead mother, says he will need psychiatric help. Since the start of the war, she has been able to speak to him only once, on the phone, and has been to the border areas three times to try, in vain, to find him. “Our situation was on hold, but eventually everything was resolved”She rejoices.

He was sent to a state boarding school in Luhansk, an occupied city in eastern Ukraine, where his papers were taken from him. “by deception”She belongs. “They put psychological pressure on him to prevent him from leaving”, she adds. This mother would take him home to Zhytomyr near Kiev.

“We’ll have a party and show it around town”But the teenager also has to get to school and recover from injuries sustained in the car bomb, she said.

A woman, a member of the Ukrainian armed forces, came to pick up her 13-year-old son in 2022 after being detained as a prisoner of war by Russia for several months.

The group was received at the Qatari embassy in Moscow on Monday. This included two seriously ill children, who were taken by ambulance and admitted to hospital. “The main thing, believe me, is that we will bring them all back”Dmytro Lubinets assures. “It’s Qatar that helps us the most”He emphasized to Agence France-Presse (AFP). “With the emergence of the middleman we only have new approaches, and you can see the results”, he continues. Before this arbitration, “We have seen the reluctance of the Russian side to undertake these procedures. Today it has become much easier. adds Mr. Lubinets.

Qatar, which has helped repatriate thirty Ukrainian children since July 2023, is ready to contribute to other returns, its ambassador, Hadi Nasser Mansour al-Hajri, told AFP.

Kiev blames Russia “Exile” With tens of thousands of children sent to its territory from its occupied territories in Ukraine, Moscow for its part ensures that it relocates them to ensure their safety in times of fighting and if they are willing to hand over to their relatives in Ukraine. – Here they request. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova last year. “War Crimes” Due to this policy, a decision that the Kremlin considers null and void.