Explaining: Development of cooperation with U.S., returning deported Ukrainian children, Canada shuts down TikTok office
DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION WITH THE USA
Donald Trump won the US presidential election, and the Republican Party gained a majority in the Senate.
● President Zelensky officially congratulated Trump on his victory. During the phone conversation, the leaders agreed to maintain close dialogue and develop cooperation.
● Trump's “peace through strength” approach to international affairs aligns with the principles of Zelensky's Victory Plan.
● It was during Trump’s previous term that the United States began selling lethal weapons to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missile systems.
● During the previous Trump administration, the United States actively opposed the construction of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
● Kyiv will work to strengthen the Ukraine-US strategic partnership further. This will bring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace closer.
RETURNING DEPORTED UKRAINIAN CHILDREN
On November 6, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Office of the Prosecutor General announced charges against a Russian military officer for the deportation of 15 Ukrainian children from Mykolaiv region in the summer of 2022.
● This concerns students from the Novopetrivska special school, who were returned to Ukraine in November 2022 through third countries. Comprehensive measures are being taken to locate the suspect.
● The deportation of Ukrainian children is one of the most severe crimes committed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. So far, the deportation of 19,540 Ukrainian children to Russia has been officially confirmed.
● In 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova in The Hague. Ukraine is doing everything possible to identify and bring to justice everyone involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children.
● Kyiv is consistently ramping up efforts to increase international pressure on Russia to return Ukrainian children.
● As of September 2024, 931 forcibly abducted children have been returned.
CANADA SHUTS DOWN TIKTOK OFFICE
On November 7, the Canadian government ordered the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns the social platform TikTok, to close its business office there.
● The decision was made following an assessment of ByteDance's activities for compliance with national security.
● In 2023, Canada banned the installation of the TikTok app on government mobile devices for cybersecurity reasons.
● Both China and Russia actively use the TikTok platform to spread propaganda and disinformation content.
● In 2024, content farms were discovered on the TikTok platform, which was widely spreading Kremlin narratives using artificial intelligence.
● Hostile activities by authoritarian regimes are prompting the authorities of democratic countries to counter foreign information manipulations and interference (FIMI).
● Canada's move again raises the issue of the need for global coordination of efforts to combat propaganda and disinformation
