“Of all the horrors unleashed by Russia’s war, none cuts deeper than the abduction of children. Tens of thousands of boys and girls are trapped in Russia. They are not statistics. Each and every one is a child”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the conference in New York on “Restoring Childhood and Humanity – Advancing Peace in Ukraine Through the Return of Ukrainian Children”. “Behind every abduction is a family in torment. […] We will not rest until Ukraine’s children are home. But I know the needs at home are also enormous. That is why I am delighted to announce today that we are ready to make available some EUR 200 million for the provision of school meals”. “So that when children return”, von der Leyen remarked, “they are not only welcomed, but helped to heal, to learn, to dream again of a future”. She then went on to talk about the war unleashed by Russia: responding to Putin “requires the world’s resolve, to maximise pressure on Russia”. That is why “the EU is joining the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children”. We need “to put these children at the top of the world’s agenda”.