Trump Administration Temporarily Restores Funding to Ukraine War Crimes Initiative

The reinstatement enables the transfer of critical evidence on abducted Ukrainian children to Europol, but the program's long-term future remains uncertain.

The Ukraine Conflict Observatory, which tracks war crimes including the abduction of over 30,000 Ukrainian children, has received six weeks of temporary funding from the Trump administration.
The funding allows for the transfer of critical evidence, including detailed data on abducted children, to Europol for use in prosecuting Russian officials and aiding Ukraine's repatriation efforts.
This decision follows bipartisan pressure from U.S. lawmakers and advocacy groups after the program's termination in January 2025 raised concerns about the potential loss of vital evidence.
The observatory's work contributed to the International Criminal Court's 2023 arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova over the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
While the program's short-term funding is secured, its future remains unclear, with calls for European governments to assume financial responsibility for its continuation.