Senator Murray: "Unfortunately, we simply cannot have this conversation without talking about the fact that, as Ranking Member Schatz mentioned, earlier this year the Trump Administration abruptly cut off funding to help track victims of Russian kidnapping and deliver justice."

***WATCH: Senator Murray questions witnesses on holding Russia accountable for kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children***

Washington, D.C. - Today, at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs hearing titled "The Abduction of Ukrainian Children by the Russian Federation," U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned witnesses on how the United States can support efforts to hold Russia accountable for the kidnapping and forced re-education of thousands of Ukrainian children.

A report from the Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab concluded this September that Russia has kidnapped thousands of children from Ukraine to at least 210 facilities inside Russia and Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine and subjected them to re-education or militarization at many of the facilities. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of the war crime of illegally deporting and transferring children from Ukraine.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration abruptly terminated funding for the Yale lab's ongoing research tracking Russia's abduction of children, and there is still no ongoing funding from the United States for this specific research.

In opening comments, Senator Murray said:

"Thank you very much Mr. Chairman. I'm really glad that this hearing is being held to help shine a light on one of the darkest aspects of Russia's bloody and unjustified war in Ukraine.

"Thousands of Ukrainian children that you've talked about have been kidnapped by Russia since this terrible war began. They've been abducted from their homes, they've been ripped out of their parents' arms, they've been sent, as we've heard, to forced re-education programs, military training camps, and worse.

"The horror of this sort of crime is really hard to even fathom, and that is why it resulted in Putin being charged for war crimes by the International Criminal Court. It is the height of barbarity.

"So I really appreciate all of the witnesses for joining us today to share their powerful testimony, and discuss the steps we can take to secure justice for this ongoing atrocity and provide healing for the victims and survivors.

"Unfortunately, we simply cannot have this conversation without talking about the fact that, as Ranking Member Schatz mentioned, earlier this year the Trump Administration abruptly cut off funding to help track victims of Russian kidnapping and deliver justice.

"And as noted already, that data was almost all lost, and was delayed in being sent to the proper authorities. That was absolutely senseless. And today, there is still no ongoing U.S. funding for this specific work.

"Now, I wish that we had Trump administration officials here with us to explain why that program was terminated and to talk about efforts in this space moving forward. I understand Mr. Chairman that they were invited, but they are not here today. That is inexplicable to me.

"We have also seen the Trump Administration put forward drafts of so-called peace plans that read more like Russian wish lists than a serious plan.

"We really need better from this administration. We all need to stand firm by our allies in Ukraine. And we need to stand firm for basic principles like accountability and justice. Especially for something as fundamentally immoral as kidnapping children.

"Which is why it is critical that we push back against careless cuts like the one I just talked about. We need to reverse course and restore the bipartisan tradition of support for investments that uphold our values, support our allies, and strengthen our leadership.

"And if we want a peace deal to end this war, we have to make sure that Putin understands that our resolve to stand by our allies will not waver, war crimes cannot be swept under the rug, and he cannot get a better deal by walking away from the table and waiting us out.

"Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased that we're having this hearing today and to be here with so many others who are sending a message in a bipartisan way with our voices.

"And I hope that we can send that same message with our laws as well, by writing a very strong, SFOPS bill that restores funding to help identify, track, and return victims of kidnapping, and restores support to so many other worthy NGOs that have a long history of good work, and bipartisan support, and that maintains robust support to Ukraine at this very critical moment."

Appearing at the hearing as witnesses were: The Honorable Olha Stefanishyna, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States; Mykola Kuleba, Save Ukraine; Maksym Maksymov, Bring Kids Back; and Kateryna Rashevska, Regional Center for Human Rights.

[ROLE OF NGOS]

Senator Murray began by asking Mr. Kuleba about the important efforts of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in efforts to recover kidnapped Ukrainian children: "Can you talk a little bit more about the work you do to return Ukrainian children to their families? And how governmental funding and coordination helps expand your ability to do so?" asked Senator Murray.

"We built our system beginning from the investigators team who are searching for these kids. Then as I mentioned before, after rescuing these kids we are provided with more information and we can find more information about the kids who stayed in occupied territories. Very often these kids whose parents were killed or arrested or disappeared. We have a little limit of time just to extract them from that territory," answered Mr. Kuleba. "We built a holistic system for the search, rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration. We have rehabilitation centers with more than 800 beds… both for families and children of the reunification and for unaccompanied minors and orphans. Because many children who have been rescued have a draft notice for the Russian army. It is a huge risk. We have kids who have been rescued from Russian foster families, rescued from Russian military academies, even from the Russian army… they testify how they have been forcibly taken to the Russian army. Thousands of Ukrainian children in such risk. Many of them who when taken, forcibly conscripted, and are now fighting with us. That is why it is so important for us to find these kids and rescue them in time…and they have to fight, they must fight, because if not they will be jailed or killed."

"I can't even imagine. What you said, 'in time,' is really critical. Because if you take the picture you had of two-year-olds and 11-years later, that has been their life, they don't remember much else, and rehabilitation must be extremely difficult. So 'in time,' is critically important and why funding Mr. Chairman, is so important as well," Senator Murray replied.

[RUSSIA'S OBSTRUCTION AND MOTIVATION]

Senator Murray continued her questioning by asking Mr. Maksymov about difficulties getting Russia to return the abducted Ukrainian children. "Mr. Maksymov, what is the single greatest obstacle the United States will faces in trying to compel Russia to return these abducted children?"

Mr. Maksymov answered, "The reality is that for Russians to return the kids, it is the same as testifying to committing a crime. Every single child returned has been a victim of a war crime. They can tell what happened to them. They can tell law enforcement authorities what happened to peers of theirs and what happened to their friends and what happened to family members… that is very counter instinctive for them to return the witnesses who will testify against them. Another huge obstacle… we face is they tried to downplay the crime. Despite hundreds and hundreds of names that have been submitted to Ukraine from different channels… there has never been a return of 20 kids even… That goes against the very logic for them to release the witnesses to their crime."

Senator Murray has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked invasion in 2022. As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee in the 118^th Congress, she played an instrumental role in marshalling through additional support to aid Ukraine in its defense against Putin's war.

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