Fate of children abducted from Ukraine proves Putin has no moral compass - Baerbock

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock condemned the abduction of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation and called for their return as the first step toward peace.

This was stated by the head of the German Foreign Ministry at a joint briefing with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"I am still impressed by the conversations I had with the children in this center [where children returned from the Russian Federation receive assistance]. We are talking about children - young people - and it just takes my breath away from the horror that children were simply taken from schools or orphanages, taken to a foreign country - Russia - that they were brainwashed to stand against their own country," said Baerbock

She emphasized that it is very difficult for her as a mother to imagine how difficult it was for the children.

"The fate of these children shows once again that Putin has no moral compass. He violates the rules of the international community and the rule of human coexistence every day. Every day, these children are not allowed to return home. Therefore, I urge those who still cannot clearly say who is a criminal: ‘Look at these crimes and at these children! Their return is the first step toward peace.’ This should be done immediately," the minister emphasized.

As reported, Baerbock arrived in Kyiv on Monday morning with an unannounced visit.