Bring Kids Back UA – an initiative by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to bring home all Ukrainian children deported and forcibly relocated by Russia
On February 5, 2026, in Jerusalem, Ukrainian diplomacy once again clearly outlined one of the most sensitive humanitarian priorities of the war — the return of Ukrainian children illegally taken to Russia. This issue became central during high-level negotiations between representatives of Ukraine and Israel.
This is not about a declaration, but about a specific international mechanism to which Kyiv officially invites Israel to join.
Negotiations in Jerusalem: who spoke and about what
The meeting was conducted by the Ambassador of Ukraine to the State of Israel Yevhen Korniychuk. On the Israeli side, the negotiations were attended by Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Head of the Bureau for Eurasia and the Western Balkans Yuval Fuchs, and Head of the Bureau for International Organizations and the UN Hadas Meitzad.
The contact took place with the participation of the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel and covered a wide range of issues — from bilateral relations to global security.
War, Iran, and convergence of threat assessments
Special attention was paid to regional and international security. The Israeli side positively assessed the decision of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to recognize the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran as a terrorist organization.
This step was perceived as confirmation that Kyiv and Jerusalem increasingly view sources of threats in the same logic — as interconnected infrastructure acting against Ukraine, Israel, and the West as a whole.
It is in this context that the Ukrainian side once again raised the humanitarian issue directly related to international law.
In the middle of the discussion, it was emphasized that NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency had previously repeatedly written: the deportation of children is not a “side effect of war,” but a systematic policy requiring a collective response from states.
International coalition for the return of Ukrainian children
The Ukrainian side once again officially appealed to Israel to join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, considering that Israel supported the UN General Assembly resolution “Return of Ukrainian Children,” adopted in December 2025.
This is about the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, created within the framework of the initiative Bring Kids Back UA. The coalition was officially launched in 2024 and today is one of the key international tools for pressure and coordination on this issue.
“At the initiative of the President of Ukraine, the action plan ‘Return the Children to Ukraine’ unites the efforts of Ukrainian government institutions, partner countries, and international organizations to end the genocidal policy of the Russian Federation and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The forced deportation of Ukrainian children is a horrifying testimony to Russia’s genocidal policy towards Ukraine.
Methods such as the forcible removal of children from orphanages, the killing of parents, the separation of families during filtration, the creation of unbearable living conditions in occupied territories, and the brazen abduction of children from their homes and schools are not just a tragedy; they are a deliberate attack on the future of Ukraine.”
Who leads the coalition
The coalition is created and coordinated by Ukraine and Canada, who act as its co-chairs. The initiative aims to unite states and international structures for practical work on the return of children illegally taken or held by Russia.
Who has already joined
To date, more than 40 countries and international organizations have joined the coalition.
Among the participating countries are
the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Australia, Moldova, and others.
The initiative has also been joined by the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which takes the coalition beyond a purely interstate format.
Why Israel is important for this coalition
The Ukrainian side emphasizes: Israel’s possible participation has not only symbolic but also practical significance.
Israel possesses:
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significant diplomatic weight;
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experience in dealing with complex humanitarian cases;
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active presence in international organizations;
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trust from both Western partners and countries outside the EU.
At the same time, Israel has already supported the UN General Assembly resolution “Return of Ukrainian Children,” adopted in December 2025. Joining the coalition is seen by Kyiv as a logical continuation of this position.
Strategic dialogue and next steps
As a result of the meeting, the parties agreed to launch a Ukrainian-Israeli strategic dialogue on security issues in the near future. Political consultations between the relevant departments of the foreign ministries of the two countries were also agreed upon to coordinate positions in international organizations.
The organization of bilateral high-level contacts on current international agenda issues — from security to humanitarian initiatives — was also discussed.
Assistance to Ukraine and the energy aspect
The Israeli side separately confirmed its readiness to intensify assistance to Ukraine, including in the energy sector, which remains critically vulnerable due to Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure.
What this means in practice
For Ukraine, the issue of returning children is part of a broader struggle for international accountability and post-war recovery. For Israel, it is an opportunity to move from supporting resolutions to participating in a real mechanism.
In Jerusalem, the parties confirmed their intention to develop relations and maintain a regular political dialogue. The question now is not about the principled position, but about the next step.
On the same day: a separate meeting with the Russian ambassador
It is important to note that on the same day, February 5, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel Yuval Fuchs held a separate working meeting with the Russian ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov.
According to the official statement of the Russian side, the discussion concerned “current issues of Russian-Israeli interaction,” including the trade and economic agenda. However, the key emphasis, as before, was on attempting to impose the Russian interpretation of the war against Ukraine on the Israeli side.
In the context of Ukraine, the Russian ambassador once again claimed alleged “attacks by the Kyiv regime on peaceful civilians and civilian infrastructure on the territory of Russia” — formulations that Moscow regularly uses, ignoring documented strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy facilities.
Separately, the Russian side once again raised the topic of “preserving historical memory” about World War II and the Holocaust — rhetoric that Moscow systematically uses as diplomatic cover, including against the backdrop of the war and the deportation of Ukrainian children.
Thus, within one day, Israeli diplomacy heard two fundamentally different positions:
— the Ukrainian one, based on international law, humanitarian responsibility, and specific mechanisms for returning children;
— and the Russian one, built on familiar accusations, substitution of concepts, and appeals to historical memory without acknowledging its own responsibility.
This contrast only underscores why the issue of Israel’s participation in the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children is not formal but of principled importance for Kyiv.