Anita Anand to close Toronto summit on returning abducted Ukrainian children

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is set to conclude the Pathways to Peace conference in Toronto, a two-day summit focused on the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.

In 2024, Canada and Ukraine established an international coalition dedicated to locating and returning children taken during Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. These efforts have since expanded to include the repatriation of civilians and prisoners of war detained by Russian officials since the 2014 seizure of Crimea.

During the summit, multiple nations have pledged increased action to address the issue. Additionally, the European Union has announced new sanctions against officials accused of involvement in the abductions, an act categorized as a war crime by the International Criminal Court. Norway is co-hosting the conference and has pledged approximately $35 million in support.