Ukrainians in Brazil condemn country’s abstention in UN vote on kidnapped Ukrainian children

The Ukrainian-Brazilian Central Representation (UBCR) has condemned the Brazilian government’s decision to abstain from voting on a UN resolution that called on Russia to immediately return abducted Ukrainian children.

The community expressed deep outrage over what it called “a moral failure” and a departure from the humanitarian principles that have historically guided Brazilian diplomacy.

“It is unacceptable for a government that claims to protect children’s rights, education, and dignity at home to remain silent on an international crime involving abduction, forced deportation, and attempts to erase the identities of thousands of Ukrainian children,” UBCR said.

The resolution passed with overwhelming support, reflecting the international community’s stance: neutrality is not acceptable in the face of systematic child abduction during war, the organization noted.

The Brazilian government’s decision has deeply hurt thousands of Ukrainians and their descendants living in a country that has been long regarded as a land of hospitality, justice, and respect for human rights.

“Neutrality in the face of children’s suffering is not neutrality — it is complicity,” UBCR said.

The organization expressed “strong condemnation of Brazil’s passive stance at the UN and its abstention on a vote concerning the protection of children — victims of war crimes.”

“Such a position effectively aids the aggressor and punishes the victims,” UBCR added, calling on Brazilian diplomacy to urgently reconsider its approach.

“Children are not a bargaining chip in diplomacy. They must be returned home,” UBCR said.

The resolution, adopted on Dec. 3 with backing from 91 countries, calls on Russia to provide the names of all Ukrainian children it has taken and ensure their immediate, safe, and unconditional return. It also demands an end to forced transfers, family separations, changes to children’s citizenship, and any form of political or ideological indoctrination.

Some 20,000 Ukrainian children are believed to have taken without parental consent are subject to practices that are designed to eradicate their ethnic and cultural identity.