Lithuania plans to offer medical and psychological support to Ukrainian children who were forcibly taken to Russia and are now returning home.
This was reported by LRT, citing the advisor to the Lithuanian Minister of Health, Skirmantas Krunkeitis.
"We are currently in the preparatory phase, determining when the children will be able to travel to Lithuania," Krunkeitis stated.
The provision of such assistance to Ukrainian children will be initiated following an official request from Ukraine.
According to the Lithuanian Ministry of Health, children will receive treatment in rehabilitation facilities, and psychiatrists will help them cope with the effects of forced deportation.
"Children must meet specific rehabilitation criteria, which could involve either physical rehabilitation or respiratory therapy. The primary criterion is medical indication. Most importantly, there must be specific groups of children in Ukraine who have been abducted and taken to Russia," Krunkeitis emphasized.
Minors will arrive in Lithuania accompanied by parents, guardians, or other caregivers. Their accommodation and meals will also be financed.
Krunkeitis mentioned that the plan is to accept as many children as the medical facilities can accommodate.
"Preliminarily, we expect to take in about 15-20 children per month across all healthcare institutions in Lithuania," he informed.
It is planned to accept approximately 150 children annually. The estimated cost for providing necessary services for this number of children, along with their caregivers, will be around €400,000 per year.
In 2025, the expenses for these services (up to €100,000) are expected to be covered by borrowed funds, while in 2026, financing will come from EU sources or other funding options.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the return of children abducted by Russia is the "most sensitive and problematic issue".
An international coalition for the return of Ukrainian children has called on Russia to return abducted children without delay and without conditions. A joint statement was signed by 38 countries, the Council of Europe, and the European Union.
During talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a letter from First Lady Melania Trump regarding abducted Ukrainian children.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation has deported or forcibly relocated over 19,500 children.
