EU condemns deportation of Ukrainian children to Belarus

June 30, BPN. The European Council condemned the deportation of Ukrainian children and other civilians to Russia and Belarus “in the strongest terms,” says a statement on its website.

The Council met on June 29 in Brussels calling on Russia and Belarus to immediately ensure the safe return of Ukrainian children.

The statement also condemned “the continued military support” for Russia’s war on Ukraine by Iran and Belarus.

“Belarus must stop allowing Russian armed forces to use its territory, including for the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons,” the European Council stressed.

On June 27, the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), a Warsaw-based Belarusian opposition group, said it submitted evidence of Alaksandr Łukašenka’s alleged war crimes to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The evidence also implicates Union State Secretary Dmitry Mezentsev, Belaruskali CEO Ivan Hałavaty, Donetsk’s public figure Olga Volkova, and Paralympic athlete Alaksiej Tałaj, it noted.

The NAM accused Łukašenka of the illegal transfer of some 2,100 Ukrainian children from the Russian-occupied territories and their indoctrination.

The Belarusian ruler dismissed the accusations as “insane.”