WASHINGTON − The Trump administration has halted funding for a project that was monitoring thousands of Ukrainian children who were forcibly taken to Russia. This decision came despite President Donald Trump’s promise to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a call on Wednesday to assist in bringing the abducted children back home.
The project, conducted by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, was focused on documenting Russia’s systematic practice of coercing Ukrainian children into adoption and foster care. According to the project’s latest report, researchers were informed recently that the funding for the project had been cut off, as confirmed by a Yale University spokesperson. In response to this, a news release from the lab issued on Monday requested donations to sustain the investigation.
Following the termination of funding, concerns arose among some lawmakers that the essential data collected by the project, crucial for tracking the deported children, may have been lost. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court charged Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, a Kremlin official associated with the deportation campaign, with war crimes for forcibly taking hundreds of children from Ukrainian institutions to Russia for adoption.
A letter written by Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, and over a dozen other members of Congress addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday expressed worries that the repository containing data on more than 30,000 Ukrainian children held in various locations in Russia may have been permanently deleted.
Although the State Department confirmed the defunding of the project, spokesperson Tammy Bruce clarified that the claims of data deletion were false. The data remains intact and outside of the State Department’s control, she stated during a briefing.
Experts highlight the significance of maintaining this database for accountability and humanitarian purposes. Archived data serves as evidence of the initial transfer of children from Ukraine, while ongoing information aids in tracing the children’s current whereabouts, including any adoptions that have taken place.
The loss of this data could hinder efforts to ensure the safe return of Ukrainian children and hold responsible parties accountable, which are central to achieving a just and comprehensive peace agreement, as emphasized by Beth Van Schaack, the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice in the U.S. State Department under the Biden administration.
“It was a comprehensive resolution of the conflict,” she stated. At a rally outside the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 8, 2025, a protester held a banner featuring a playing card with images of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. Landsman, in an interview with USA TODAY, expressed ongoing concern despite the State Department’s assurance of data accessibility. He mentioned that the database had given hope for the return of the children, only to discover it had been shut down. This news left him dismayed, as individuals, including Russian oligarchs, who had committed heinous acts of child abduction, were now free from scrutiny.
The conflict began with forced adoptions in Russia following their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Over 8,400 Ukrainian children, some as young as four months old, were forcibly relocated to various sites in Russia and its occupied territories. Reports from the Yale lab revealed 314 cases of Ukrainian children being adopted or placed in Russian foster care against their will. Instances of falsifying birth certificates were also documented.
Oksana Pomyliaiko, Director of Pechenihy village school, pointed out damage caused by a recent drone strike during Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The lab’s findings indicated that around 6,000 Ukrainian children were sent to 43 reeducation camps in Russia within a year of the invasion. Presently, over 19,000 Ukrainian children have been deported, with only a small fraction returned to their families. The systematic abduction of children, targeting the most vulnerable, began prior to the invasion and escalated as Russia expanded its control. Some children were taken under the guise of protection from the war.
Amidst these events, the Trump administration significantly reduced U.S. foreign aid contracts, affecting crucial projects worldwide. This move, primarily carried out through USAID, drew criticism for jeopardizing essential aid efforts. Despite these challenges, Trump’s administration pledged commitment to addressing the child abduction crisis during discussions with Zelenskyy, highlighting the potential for impactful collaboration beyond traditional structures.
An error of significant proportions occurred when the US suspended certain counteractions against Russian interference, as Trump draws closer to Putin. The hope is that this decision was just a mistake and that every effort will be made to rectify it. However, what truly matters is the outcome, ensuring that the children are safely returned home,” stated the individual. While discussions at the leadership level about repatriating the children are promising, actions speak louder than words. “Putin has been responsible for the abduction of 30,000 children, and this cycle of conflict must end to prevent further harm to innocent lives,” he emphasized. This report was originally featured in USA TODAY: Trump halts initiative aimed at locating Ukrainian children taken by Russia.
