III 

Calendar No. 99 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 158 

Condemning the deportation of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation and the forcible transfer of children within territories of Ukraine 

that are temporarily occupied by Russian forces. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 17, 2023 

Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. GRASSLEY, 

Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. CARDIN, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mr. 

THUNE, Ms. STABENOW, and Mr. COONS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JUNE 13, 2023 

Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, without amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 

[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the deportation of children from Ukraine to 

the Russian Federation and the forcible transfer of children within territories of Ukraine that are temporarily 

occupied by Russian forces. 

Whereas, on January 12, 1951, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (commonly known as the ‘‘Genocide Convention’’), of which 

the Russian Federation is a signatory, came into effect; 


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•SRES 158 RS 

Whereas, on February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation 

launched an illegal and unprovoked further invasion of 

Ukraine; 

Whereas, on March 22, 2022, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced that the Russian military had forcefully 

and illegally kidnapped 2,389 Ukrainian children from 

temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine; 

Whereas forcibly transferring children of one group to another group is a violation of Article II(e) of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of 

Genocide, adopted and opened for signature in 1948 and 

entered into force in 1951 (commonly known as the 

‘‘Genocide Convention’’); 

Whereas the unlawful deportation or transfer of people constitutes a breach of Article 147 of the Convention (IV) 

relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of 

War, done at Geneva August 12, 1949 (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Fourth Geneva Convention’’); 

Whereas, Maria Lvova-Belova, Children’s Rights Commissioner for the President of Russia, admitted to kidnapping Ukrainian children and facilitating forced adoptions 

to Russian families; 

Whereas Ukrainian authorities have stated that a number of 

the kidnapped Ukrainian children have families who remain in Ukraine, but have been separated due to the 

Russian invasion; 

Whereas, on May 30, 2022, the President of the Russian 

Federation, Vladimir Putin, signed a decree simplifying 

the procedure of obtaining Russian citizenship for 

Ukrainian orphans and children without parental care, 


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•SRES 158 RS 

thereby expediting the process of illegal adoption of deported Ukrainian children by Russian families; 

Whereas, on June 2, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr 

Zelenskyy stated that 200,000 children are among the 

Ukrainians who have been forcefully resettled in Russia; 

Whereas, on June 16, 2022, Russian authorities announced 

that children born in occupied Ukrainian territories after 

the February 24, 2022, invasion will be deemed Russian 

citizens; 

Whereas, on July 11, 2022, United Nations Secretary General Ant ́onio Guterres ordered an investigation into the 

deaths and injuries of Ukrainian children; 

Whereas, on July 13, 2022, Secretary of State Antony J. 

Blinken issued a statement calling upon Russia to ‘‘immediately halt its systemic filtration operations in 

Ukraine’’, which have caused the disappearance, detention, or forcible deportation of between 900,000 and 

1,600,000 Ukrainians (approximately 260,000 of whom 

are children); 

Whereas, on December 5, 2022, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, announced that at least 2,800,000 Ukrainians have been 

deported to Russia; 

Whereas, on March 17, 2023, the International Criminal 

Court issued warrants of arrest, relating to the war 

crimes described in subsections (a)(vii) and (b)(viii) of 

section 2 of article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, for— 

(1) Vladimir Putin, for— 

(A) the unlawful deportation of population 

(children); and 


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•SRES 158 RS 

(B) the unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian 

Federation; and 

(2) Maria Lvova-Belova, Presidential Commissioner 

for Children’s Rights in Russia, for— 

(A) the unlawful deportation of population 

(children); and 

(B) the unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian 

Federation; and 

Whereas, as of March 27, 2023, the official platform ‘‘Children of War’’, which was created by the Ministry of Reintegration and the National Information Bureau on behalf of the Office of the President of Ukraine reported 

that— 

(1) at least 465 Ukrainian children have been killed 

and 942 Ukrainian children have been wounded since 

Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine began; and 

(2) there has been 16,207 verified cases of Ukrainian children being deported to Russia out of a possible 

744,000 cases: Now, therefore, be it 

Whereas, on January 12, 1951, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (commonly 

known as the ‘‘Genocide Convention’’), of which the Russian Federation is a signatory, came into effect; 

Whereas, on February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation 

launched an illegal and unprovoked further invasion of 

Ukraine; 

Whereas, on March 22, 2022, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry 

announced that the Russian military had forcefully and illegally kidnapped 2,389 Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine; 


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•SRES 158 RS 

Whereas forcibly transferring children of one group to another 

group can constitute a violation of Article II(e) of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime 

of Genocide, adopted and opened for signature in 1948 

and entered into force in 1951 (commonly known as the 

‘‘Genocide Convention’’); 

Whereas the unlawful deportation or transfer of protected people constitutes a breach of Article 147 of the Convention 

(IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time 

of War, done at Geneva August 12, 1949 (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Fourth Geneva Convention’’); 

Whereas, Maria Lvova-Belova, Children’s Rights Commissioner 

for the President of Russia, admitted to kidnapping 

Ukrainian children and facilitating forced adoptions to 

Russian families; 

Whereas Ukrainian authorities have stated that a number of 

the kidnapped Ukrainian children have families who remain in Ukraine, but have been separated due to the Russian invasion; 

Whereas, on May 30, 2022, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, signed a decree simplifying the 

procedure of obtaining Russian citizenship for Ukrainian 

orphans and children without parental care, thereby expediting the process of illegal adoption of deported Ukrainian children by Russian families; 

Whereas, on June 2, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr 

Zelenskyy stated that 200,000 children are among the 

Ukrainians who have been forcefully resettled in Russia; 

Whereas on June 16, 2022, Russian authorities announced 

that children born in occupied Ukrainian territories after 


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•SRES 158 RS 

the February 24, 2022, invasion will be deemed Russian 

citizens; 

Whereas, on July 11, 2022, United Nations Secretary General 

Anto ́nio Guterres ordered an investigation into the deaths 

and injuries of Ukrainian children; 

Whereas, on January 27, 2023, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, accused Russia of violating the ‘‘fundamental principles of child protection’’ by 

giving Russian passports to unaccompanied Ukrainian 

child refugees and putting them up for adoption; 

Whereas, on July 13, 2022, Secretary of State Antony J. 

Blinken issued a statement calling upon Russia to ‘‘immediately halt its systemic filtration operations in Ukraine’’, 

which have caused the disappearance, detention, or forcible 

deportation of between 900,000 and 1,600,000 Ukrainians 

(approximately 260,000 of whom are children); 

Whereas, on December 5, 2022, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, announced that at least 2,800,000 Ukrainians have been deported to Russia; 

Whereas on March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court 

issued warrants of arrest, relating to the war crimes described in subsections (a)(vii) and (b)(viii) of section 2 of 

article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, for— 

(1) Vladimir Putin, for— 

(A) the unlawful deportation of population (children); and 

(B) the unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian 

Federation; and 


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•SRES 158 RS 

(2) Maria Lvova-Belova, Presidential Commissioner 

for Children’s Rights in Russia, for— 

(A) the unlawful deportation of population (children); and 

(B) the unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian 

Federation; and 

Whereas, as of June 1, 2023, the official platform ‘‘Children 

of War’’, which was created by the Ministry of Reintegration and the National Information Bureau on behalf of the 

Office of the President of Ukraine reported that— 

(1) at least 484 Ukrainian children have been killed 

and 992 Ukrainian children have been wounded since Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine began; and 

(2) there has been 19,505 verified cases of Ukrainian 

children being deported to Russia: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) holds the Government of the Russian Fed3 eration, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, re4 sponsible for the wrongful and illegal kidnapping of 

5 children from Ukraine and officially condemns these 

6 actions in the strongest terms; 

7 (2) condemns— 

8 (A) the forcible mass transfer of millions 

9 of Ukrainian civilians, hundreds of thousands of 

10 whom are children, to the Russian Federation 

11 or territories controlled by the Russian Federa12 tion; and 


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•SRES 158 RS 

1 (B) the facilitation of illegal adoptions, 

2 which could constitute a violation of Russia’s 

3 obligations under the Genocide Convention and 

4 amount to genocide; 

5 (3) claims that the Russian Federation is at6 tempting to wipe out a generation of Ukrainian chil7 dren, thereby crippling Ukraine’s ability to nurture 

8 the next generation of Ukrainian citizens and lead9 ers and to rebuild their country after Russia’s 

10 unprovoked war, with the purpose of demolishing 

11 Ukraine’s unique language, culture, history, and 

12 identity; 

13 (4) asserts that the invasion of Ukraine by the 

14 Russian Federation has significantly increased the 

15 risks of children being exposed to human trafficking 

16 and exploitation, child labor, gender-based violence, 

17 hunger, injury, trauma, deprivation of education and 

18 shelter, and death; 

19 (5) urges the President to use all legal means 

20 necessary to hold accountable those responsible for 

21 the forcible deportation and displacement of children 

22 in Ukraine; 

23 (6) asserts that United States policy should in24 volve assisting in reunification efforts between 


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•SRES 158 RS 

1 Ukrainian children deported or displaced by Russia’s 

2 ongoing invasion of Ukraine and their families; and 

3 (7) calls upon the President to impose sanctions 

4 on those responsible for the forcible deportation and 

5 displacement of Ukrainian children, including 

6 through the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Ac7 countability Act (22 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.). 


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Calendar No. 99 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 158 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the deportation of children from 

sian forces. Ukraine that are temporarily occupied by Rusible transfer of children within territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation and the forcJUNE 13, 2023 

Reported without amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 


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