1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

Donald Trump shut down the U.S.-funded Conflict Observatory, the program tracking the mass abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia. That program—run by Yale researchers—was documenting the war crimes committed against these children and working to hold perpetrators accountable. Now it’s gone. This isn’t just a bureaucratic decision. It’s the U.S. government walking away from thousands of stolen children—many deported to Russia or Belarus in direct violation of international law. The Ukrainian government estimates over 19,000 children have been taken. The database built to track them may now be lost. This is a humanitarian crisis, and it’s being fueled by U.S. policy. And yet, many Republican legislators remain completely silent. That silence is more than neglect—it is collaboration. When you refuse to oppose child abduction, you become complicit in it. You become part of the crime. I am calling on every legislator in this country to oppose this sickening act of abandonment. I demand a written response explaining what you are doing to restore full funding to the Conflict Observatory, and how you plan to support international efforts to rescue and return these children. If you fail to act, you are choosing to be remembered as a partner in one of the most visible and horrifying war crimes of our time. Your legacy is being written right now—by your actions or your silence. Do the right thing. Speak up. Fund the mission. Bring them home.