On October 16, Qatar secured the first such repatriation of four Ukrainian children from Russia following Kyiv’s request.
Qatar mediated the release of 11 Ukrainian children held in Russia on Monday as part of its efforts to reunite families separated by the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kyiv, Qatar’s state news agency (QNA) reported.
The Qatari embassy in Russia hosted the children and their families during the unification process to ensure their safe return to their homeland. The embassy’s staff also accompanied the families until they reached their final destination.
Speaking to the news agency, Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah Al Khater said the group included children with disabilities.
“Ukraine and Russia’s cooperation with Qatari mediation efforts since their beginning was an important factor in the success of family reunification operations,” QNA reported, citing Al Khater.
The Qatari official noted that the mediation efforts are ongoing and the reunifications of children “are an extension of its approach to mediation and resolving disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with the principles of international law”.
At least 20,000 children were illegally taken to Russia since the start of Moscow’s war on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, some of whom had been put up for adoption, according to Reuters.
On October 16, Qatar secured the first such repatriation of four Ukrainian children from Russia following Kyiv’s request. Qatar then reunified six additional Ukrainian children with their families on December 5.
On November 19, joint mediation by Qatar and the United Nations led to the release of orphaned Ukrainian teenager, Bohdan Yermokhin, from Mariupol after he was taken to Russia during the war.
“Such efforts reflect Qatar’s unwavering commitment to humanitarian principles and international solidarity, as well as its actual contributions to building peace and stability at the regional and international levels,” Al Khater stressed.
Qatar has maintained a balanced foreign policy since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, communicating with both sides while repeatedly calling for the need for dialogue to end the conflict.
In July last year, Doha pledged $100 million in aid to Kyiv during a meeting between Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Zelenskyy.
Sheikh Mohammed’s visit to Ukraine came a month after a stopover in Moscow on June 22, where he met Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Qatari official had called for respecting Ukraine’s territorial dignity and independence, as well as the United Nations Charter.
In March 2022, Qatar was among 141 countries that voted on a UN resolution demanding Russia’s “immediate and complete” withdrawal from Ukraine.
Qatar, a seasoned mediator, had previously expressed its openness to facilitate dialogue between rivals Russia and Ukraine “if asked” by its international partners.
“If asked to mediate in the Ukraine conflict, we would of course be ready to work towards facilitating dialogue and achieving peace in Europe,” Qatar’s Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi, told Newsweek on October 3, 2023.
Russia’s war on Ukraine is approaching its second year on February 24, killing at least 10,000 civilians by the end of 2023 while injuring more than 18,500 others, according to the Center for Civilians in Conflict.
The war has internally displaced at least 6.5 million people while forcing five million others to flee to neighbouring European countries, according to the UN.
