IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 564 
Calling for the return of abducted Ukrainian children before finalizing any 
peace agreement to end the war against Ukraine. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 30, 2025 
Mr. MCCAUL (for himself and Mr. MEEKS) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Calling for the return of abducted Ukrainian children before 
finalizing any peace agreement to end the war against 
Ukraine. 
Whereas the United States Government is working to bring 
an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine and restore 
peace in Europe; 
Whereas, as of April 16, 2025, Ukrainian authorities have re-
ceived at least 19,546 confirmed reports of unlawful de-
portations and forced transfers of Ukrainian children to 
the territory of the Russian Federation, the Republic of 
Belarus, or Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory; 
Whereas, as of April 16, 2025, Ukraine and its partners have 
managed to return 1,274 abducted Ukrainian children 
from the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, or 
occupied Ukrainian territory; 
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•HRES 564 IH 
Whereas Russia’s abduction and Russification of Ukrainian 
children demonstrates the intent of the Government of 
the Russian Federation to erase the Ukrainian nation 
and identity; 
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has 
changed its adoption laws since the full-scale invasion of 
Ukraine in 2022 for the purpose of forcibly adopting chil-
dren abducted from Ukraine in order to raise them as 
Russian citizens, erased of their Ukrainian names, lan-
guage, and identity; 
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, in violation of Ukrainian law and the Fourth Ge-
neva Convention; 
Whereas the Department of State’s 2024 Trafficking in Per-
sons Report found that Russia recruits or uses child sol-
diers as defined under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, 
is documented as having a state-sponsored policy or pat-
tern of human trafficking, and is among the worst hubs 
for human trafficking in the world; 
Whereas the United States has sanctioned at least 32 individ-
uals and three entities of the Russian Federation and its 
occupying forces and the Republic of Belarus for being 
involved in the abduction and re-education of Ukrainian 
children and human rights violations of Ukrainian mi-
nors; 
Whereas Maria Lvova-Belova, Children’s Rights Commis-
sioner for the President of Russia, admitted to abducting 
and forcibly transferring Ukrainian children and facili-
tating forced adoptions to Russian families; 
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•HRES 564 IH 
Whereas the unlawful deportation or transfer of protected 
people constitutes a grave breach of the Geneva Conven-
tion (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in 
Time of War, Article 147, done at Geneva August 12, 
1949; 
Whereas forcibly transferring children of one group to an-
other group is a violation of Article II(e) of the Genocide 
Convention, of which the Russian Federation is a party; 
and 
Whereas hundreds of thousands of children still reside in the 
occupied territories of Ukraine, where they face attempts 
at Russification by occupation authorities; Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns the Government of the Russian 
Federation’s abduction, forcible transfer, and facili-
tation of the illegal deportation of Ukrainian chil-
dren; 
(2) notes with concern that the invasion of 
Ukraine by the Russian Federation has significantly 
increased the risks of children being exposed to 
human trafficking and exploitation, child labor, sex-
ual violence, hunger, injury, trauma, deprivation of 
education and shelter, and death; 
(3) supports bringing the war in Ukraine to a 
peaceful and just conclusion; and 
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