US Provides $25 Million for Return of Ukrainian Children

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) and his wife, Olena Zelenska, in Vilnius on July 11, 2023. Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty ImagesThe United States said on March 26 that it is providing $25 million in new assistance to support the identification, return, and rehabilitation of Ukrainian children “forcibly relocated to Russian-controlled territories.”“U.S. funding will support two primary types of programs,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement. “First, it will assist reliable partners to identify and track children that have been forcibly transferred away from their home, an essential step in supporting diplomatic and other efforts to facilitate their return. Second, it will support the Ukrainian government and trusted local partners to provide returned children with the care and support they need to recover and rebuild their lives.”