Canada will co-host an international conference in Toronto later this month aimed at securing the return of Ukrainian children, detained civilians and prisoners of war held by Russia.
Foreign Minister Anita Anand announced on Saturday that Canada, Ukraine and Norway will host the two-day conference on September 28-29.
Event, called Pathways to Peace: Second International Conference on the Return of Ukrainian Children, Detained Civilians and Prisoners of WarIt will bring together foreign ministers and senior representatives of governments and international organizations.
“Canada, Ukraine and Norway are convening the conference to strengthen international support for efforts to repatriate people, protect those still under Russian control, and ensure returnees have access to rehabilitation and reintegration services,” Global Affairs Canada said in a statement.
Ukrainian authorities have documented 20,651 cases of possible illegal deportation or forced transfer of Ukrainian children by Russia, according to the federal government.
To date, 2,573 children have been returned from deportation, forced transfer and temporarily occupied territories.
As of June, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed that 1,878 civilians were being illegally detained by Russia. Global Affairs Canada said the real number may be much higher, with some civil society organizations estimating that up to 20,000 civilians could be detained.
Ukraine has not revealed the exact number of prisoners of war held by Russia.
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As of August, 9,529 Ukrainian military personnel and civilians have been repatriated from Russian captivity, according to Global Affairs Canada.
Participants in Toronto will discuss ways to enhance tracing, exchange information and create pathways for people to return to Ukraine.
The conference will also focus on humanitarian access and family outreach for those still under Russian control.
This gathering comes at a time when Russia is intensifying its air campaign against Ukraine.
Russian strikes killed eight civilians and wounded dozens across Ukraine on Saturday, according to local officials.
Two people were killed when Russian drones bombed a residential area in Zaporizhia, while another person was killed in Kryvyi Rih. In Odessa and the surrounding area, 35 people were injured in what regional officials described as a “massive attack.”
Three people were also killed when drones bombed vehicles in Kramatorsk, while two others were killed in a Russian attack on a grocery store in the Zhytomir region.
The attacks came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the deployment of European forces in Ukraine would mean a direct conflict with Russia.
“They are now talking about how they are thinking about sending troops to Ukraine. This means war with Russia,” Putin said on Friday during the BRICS summit of emerging economies in India.
Some European leaders have pledged to support a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine as part of a future peace deal, a proposal that Moscow has repeatedly rejected.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview published on Saturday that he would be willing to meet Putin if the two leaders were invited to attend the G20 summit in Miami in December.
Canada has pledged more than $26 billion in multifaceted support to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, including more than $750 million for recovery and reconstruction, according to the federal government.
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