Lawmakers Demand Restoration of Ukraine Child Abduction Program

Democratic U.S. lawmakers urge President Trump's administration to reinstate a tracking program for Ukrainian children allegedly abducted by Russia. The program, run by Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab, was cut off, risking the loss of critical data. Lawmakers call for sanctions against Russian officials involved.

Democratic lawmakers in the United States are calling on President Trump's administration to restore a crucial tracking program that monitored the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia. The lawmakers demand the reinstatement of a Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab initiative that previously tracked thousands of abducted children.

The program was terminated as part of broader budget cuts, resulting in a loss of vital satellite imagery and data on approximately 30,000 children, according to the lawmakers. Representative Greg Landsman from Ohio led the group in expressing concerns about the potential permanent deletion of this data, describing the repercussions as devastating.

The group has also urged the Trump administration to impose sanctions on Russian and Belarusian officials responsible for the violations. They argue that these acts, which violate international children's rights, require urgent punitive measures to ensure accountability and justice. Meanwhile, the program's cancellation raises fears of protecting President Putin from prosecution over war crimes.

(With inputs from agencies.)