There is a lot of talk about arms support and the spring offensive – and while the war drags on, a whole generation of children grows up robbed of anything that can be called a normal childhood.
– Even small children understand the terrible things that happen around them. For me it was shocking to see him, says Ukrainian Minister of Social Affairs Oksana Zholnovych.
The Minister of Social Affairs tells how she realized a while ago how much her godson was affected by the war in the country.
– My five-year-old godson loves his older brother very much. Now the big brother is fighting in the war, she says.
Zholnovych remembers when the older brother called her on a video call. He described in detail what it looked like where he was and drew funny stories for his little brother.
– It seemed like they were having fun together. But when they ended the conversation, the little boy sat down in a corner and wept bitterly. So even small children understand the horrors that are happening around them. For me it was shocking to see him, says Zholnovych, trying to hold back tears.
484 children have been killed
Then the Minister of Social Affairs wants to show a list that he always carries with him on his phone. A list of the government’s own updates about the children in the country.
It says, among other things, that 484 children were killed, 992 were injured, and 19,505 were abducted by Russia.
Dignitaries arrived at the EU meeting on the children in Ukraine on Friday.
The meeting adopted a declaration of support for the children and a condemnation of the Russian abductions.
“Want to learn from the best”
And the Swedish government is investing in trauma care.
– This means that we provide support in educating more people in Ukraine close to these children, says Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M).
For Oksana Zholnovych, it is also important to learn how countries within the EU take care of children who have lost their parents.
Ukraine today has large, but old institutions with systems that they want help to get away from.
– We want to learn from the best in order to carry out the transition in Ukraine quickly and efficiently, she says.