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First Lady Melania Trump has announced that she has been in direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the return of Ukrainian children who were displaced and separated from their families during the ongoing war.
Some shit you should know before you dig in: Since the war broke out in Ukraine, Russia has been accused of forcibly deporting and relocating thousands of Ukrainian children to Russian territory and Russian-occupied areas. According to the Ukrainian government, over 19,500 children have been taken from their homes, with only a fraction (just over 1,600) successfully returned. Many of these children have been placed in re-education centers, orphanages, summer camps, and even military bases, where reports indicate they are subjected to pro-Russian indoctrination. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in 2023 for President Putin and the country’s children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, charging them with war crimes related to the unlawful deportation of minors (an act considered a serious violation of international law, including the Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute). Russia, which does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction, has strongly denied these allegations, claiming the children were moved for their safety from active combat zones and that their relocation was a humanitarian effort.
What’s going on now: During a rare press appearance from the White House on Friday, Melania Trump revealed that she has maintained an “open channel of communication” with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the past few months, focusing specifically on the reunification of children displaced by the war in Ukraine. She said her involvement began after she sent a personal letter to Putin (which her husband, President Donald Trump, hand-delivered during their summit in Alaska in August). “He responded in writing, signaling a willingness to engage with me directly,” Melania said, explaining that her outreach evolved into a series of “back-channel meetings and calls” between her representatives and Putin’s team.
The first lady said that these quiet negotiations have already produced results, claiming that “eight children have been rejoined with their families during the past 24 hours.” She described the process as cooperative and humanitarian in nature, noting that Russian officials had provided her office with “detailed reports” documenting each child’s background, medical care, and social conditions while in Russia. “Each child has lived in turmoil because of the war in Ukraine,” Melania said. “Three were separated from their parents and displaced to the Russian Federation because of front-line fighting. The other five were separated from family members across borders because of the conflict, including one young girl who has now been reunited from Ukraine to Russia.”
Melania framed her effort as part of a broader humanitarian initiative, emphasizing compassion over politics. “My ongoing mission is twofold,” she said. “To optimize a transparent, free-flow exchange of health-related information surrounding all children who have fallen victim to this war, and to facilitate the regular reunification of children with their families until each individual returns home.”
During her statement, Melania avoided directly criticizing Russia or addressing the ICC charges and praised the “good faith” shown in her talks with Putin, adding, “I hope peace will come soon. It can begin with our children.” In response, Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, said, “I want to say words of gratitude to the First Lady of the United States for her attention and care towards families of children affected by the military conflict.”
