U.S. State Department Cuts Funding for Tracking Abducted Ukrainian Children, Data Potentially Deleted
A controversy is brewing as the U.S. State Department has reportedly ceased funding for a program dedicated to tracking the thousands of Ukrainian children allegedly abducted by Russia. This decision has sparked outrage among U.S. lawmakers, who are now demanding answers from the Trump administration regarding the fate of a crucial database containing information on these children.
According to a letter drafted by Democratic U.S. lawmakers and addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the administration’s action has effectively terminated a government-funded initiative spearheaded by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab. This lab had been instrumental in tracking the mass deportation of children from Ukraine, providing valuable insights into the scope and nature of the alleged abductions.
The lawmakers express grave concern that the termination of funding has resulted in the loss of access to critical information, including satellite imagery, pertaining to approximately 30,000 Ukrainian children allegedly kidnapped by Russia. Adding to their distress, there is a strong suspicion that the data from the repository, which held vital evidence related to these cases, has been permanently deleted.
"If true, this would have devastating consequences," the letter states, highlighting the potential impact on efforts to locate and reunite these children with their families. The letter, spearheaded by Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman, underscores the urgent need to reinstate the program and resume the crucial work of helping Ukraine bring its children home.
The timing of this development is particularly sensitive, as it coincides with a recent phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the call, Putin reportedly stopped short of agreeing to a 30-day truce in Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine, further fueling concerns about Russia’s intentions and the safety of Ukrainian citizens, especially children.
Adding fuel to the fire, a source familiar with the now-defunct tracking program claims that the canceled State Department contract has led to the deletion of a staggering $26 million worth of war crimes evidence. This evidence, collected using U.S. taxpayer money, reportedly included dossiers on all the abducted children, meticulously compiled with metadata and admissible in court.
The source accuses the administration of deliberately destroying this evidence to shield President Putin from potential prosecution. "They took $26 million of U.S. taxpayers money used for war crimes data and threw it into the woodchipper, including the dossiers on all the children," the source alleges, suggesting a calculated effort to obstruct justice.
In addition to restoring the tracking program, the lawmakers are urging the administration to impose sanctions on officials in Russia and its ally Belarus who are implicated in the abduction of children. They emphasize that these alleged violations of international law demand consequences, and that those responsible must be held accountable for their actions.
The letter further reveals that Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab no longer has access to the satellite imagery necessary to track the abducted children, hindering their ability to monitor their whereabouts and assist in rescue efforts. The lawmakers emphasize that the U.S. government is providing an essential service in pursuing the noble goal of rescuing these children, one that does not involve the transfer of weapons or cash to Ukraine.
Ukraine has characterized the abductions of tens of thousands of its children as a war crime that meets the U.N. treaty definition of genocide. According to Ukrainian authorities, these children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without parental consent, violating international law and fundamental human rights.
Russia, on the other hand, maintains that it has been evacuating people voluntarily to protect vulnerable children from being caught in the crossfire. However, these claims have been widely disputed, with critics arguing that the deportations are a deliberate attempt to erase Ukrainian identity and culture.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants for the arrest of both Lvova-Belova and Putin in March 2023, citing their alleged involvement in the abduction of Ukrainian children. Russia has vehemently denounced these warrants, dismissing them as "outrageous and unacceptable."
Adding another layer to the controversy, Eurojust, Europe’s agency for criminal cooperation, has learned that the U.S. government is also ending its support for the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. This center was actively collecting evidence to prosecute Putin and others for the crime of aggression, and the departure of the U.S. special prosecutor, Jessica Kim, will undoubtedly impact its operations.
The decision to cut funding for these programs has raised serious questions about the U.S. government’s commitment to holding Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine. Critics argue that these cuts undermine efforts to investigate war crimes and provide justice for the victims of aggression. The debate over the fate of the abducted Ukrainian children is likely to intensify as lawmakers demand answers and seek to restore the programs that were once dedicated to their rescue.
