U.S. Halts Program Tracking Abducted Ukrainian Children Amid Aid Freeze

The U.S. State Department confirmed that data on abducted Ukrainian children is safe despite a freeze on foreign aid that halted the program collecting it. Researchers, however, have lost access to critical insights, raising concerns about ceasing investigations into Russia-linked war crimes against Ukrainian minors.

The U.S. State Department clarified on Wednesday that data from a government-funded program tracking abducted Ukrainian children remains intact despite the program's termination due to a broad halt on foreign aid. Democratic lawmakers had raised alarms over potential data deletion, now denied by officials.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce assured that the data exists outside the department's control, adding that cooperation on the issue might continue following a call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The program, initiated under President Joe Biden, aimed to document international law violations amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the program's cessation, which cuts off researcher access to extensive data, efforts to address the concerns over abducted children remain in focus as the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against top Russian officials over alleged child deportations from Ukraine. Lawmakers are concerned about data loss impacting investigations.

(With inputs from agencies.)