WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) testified at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the abduction of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation. At the hearing, Klobuchar discussed her recent meeting in Rome with rescued Ukrainian children and Pope Leo XIV, and her bipartisan legislation to support efforts to return the thousands of other Ukrainian children who have yet to be reunited with their families.
A rough transcript of the Senator’s statement is below and a video to download is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RnRXeQgYYg.
“Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman Graham [and] Senator Schatz for leading this powerful subcommittee of people that have been leaders on this issue. You couldn’t think of a better time for this hearing as these negotiations are ongoing and we must stand with Ukraine, and I appreciated both of your words.
“I recently returned from Rome, where 12 days ago I had the honor of joining a Ukrainian delegation sent by President Zelenskyy to meet with Pope Leo at the Vatican. I was there alongside Maksym [Maksymov], who will testify today.
“It’s one thing to have the numbers that we all use, about the kids that are over there, some of them as old as teenagers, some of them as young as one-year-old, two-years-old, three-years-old. It’s another to actually sit across the table from them and their families.
“I met Sashko, who was taken from his home in Mariupol after being wounded in a Russian bombardment. At our breakfast he was there with his brave grandma, Liudmyl, who told me she eventually took matters into her own hands – this grandma – when he was able to get a cell phone and call her and she went into the occupied territory to rescue him.
“With the Pope, I stood next to Veronika, who was confined in Russia against her will for both her 13th and 14th birthdays – including periods of time in isolation – before she managed to escape.
“These are tragic stories of childhoods forever changed by brutality. But they are also stories of resilience and hope – the stories of the Ukrainian people who against all odds have continued to stand up to the brutality of Vladimir Putin.
“Veronika is attending school again in Kyiv, now in the 11th grade. And to see her big smile when she met the Pope and the tears coming out of her eyes as he gave her a rosary is something I will never forget.
“More than 1,800 children have been returned, some with the help of the Vatican, and we were there to urge the Pope to use his standing and strong moral authority in the world to help return more children through mediation.
“I believe the Pope plays a critical role, but in the end, children should never be pawns in a war. And that is why Senator Britt and I joined you Mr. Chairman and Senator Blumenthal on this important bill.
“But we must know, as you will hear today, how these kids are being moved in Russia through 200 sites, thanks to the incredible detective work of Yale researchers led by Nathaniel Raymond, who will testify today. His team has tracked the movements with biometrics and the like – of some kids that don’t even look like they looked when they were abducted because they were only babies.
“In addition to this important legislation that you’re talking about today that I hope advances to the Senate, Senator Shaheen and I were just discussing this, Senator Grassley and I have a bill that we thank all of you for supporting in the NDAA. That bill authorizes our federal agencies to continue supporting these tracking efforts. I want to thank Representative Fitzpatrick for co-leading the bipartisan companion legislation in the House, and Representative McCaul for leading a related resolution.
“The U.S. is not alone in assisting Ukraine with the tracking and recovery of our children. Our allies are stepping up. And in September, President Zelenskyy announced a new initiative among several countries to share data and build up the capacity of Ukraine’s own law enforcement.
“We all must do our part, and I’m pleased that First Lady Melania Trump joined us in this effort, but in the end, if we just sell out on some kind of an agreement that not only doesn’t bring the kids home, but literally gives Russia territory that they don’t even have right now, that’s the message we’re going to send to the world.
“So Chairman Graham, I want to thank you for at this really important time, having this hearing, and let’s get these kids home. Thank you.”
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