Madison, WI – Senator Chris Larson released the following statement upon the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 103, condemning the actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, including the illegal abduction and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia.
“In times of peril, weak men seek to make themselves look strong by targeting those they perceive as weaker. The world has seen the atrocities committed by Russia in its war against the independent and free state of Ukraine, including the abduction and forced deportation of thousands of the youngest Ukrainians to Russian ‘re-education’ camps.
“This unprovoked conflict, perpetrated by the Russian Federation, has been led by a campaign of fear upon the psych Ukraine. From the bombs they continue to drop, targeting infrastructure and civilians, to the abduction and forced deportation of thousands of innocent Ukrainian children, the Russian Federation has committed crimes against humanity. These atrocities put Russia in violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the Genocide Convention) and the agreement they have bound themselves to uphold.
“The abduction and forced relocation of Ukrainian children is not an accident of war but a deliberate and systematic policy of the Russian government. In fact, Russia has actively obstructed efforts to return children to their families, has refused to provide a list of abducted children, concealing their whereabouts, and has changed children’s surnames and citizenship to forcibly integrate them into Russian society. All of this represents a clear effort to erase the next generation’s Ukrainian identity.
“In March of 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights based on individual criminal responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of children.
“Sadly, the small number of children who have been returned to their families thus far have described being psychologically traumatized and indoctrinated with pro-Russian propaganda.
Internationally, Russia’s actions have been described as potentially constituting genocide, citing the intent to erase Ukrainian national identity through so-called re-education and forced assimilation.
“There are unmistakable signs that Russian aggression toward Ukrainian civilians has intensified over the past year. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it verified that 2,514 civilians were killed and 12,142 injured in conflict-related violence in Ukraine in 2025, nearly all of them in Russian attacks against Ukrainian-held areas.
“Our shared American values tell us that we must speak out against the atrocious conduct of the Russian Federation. I am thankful that Wisconsin’s state legislature has become the first in the nation to resoundingly pass a bipartisan resolution of condemnation against the Russian Federation. I hope that this inspires other states to add their voices against Russia’s heinous crimes.”
