WASHINGTON — First lady Melania Trump announced the reunification of eight Ukrainian children with their families after they had been taken and held in Russia, stating that the progress has come as a result of months of direct communication with President Vladimir Putin starting with a letter she wrote him in August.
In a rare solo statement to the press from the White House on Friday morning, Mrs. Trump declared that “much has unfolded” since her husband, President Donald Trump, hand-delivered her letter urging the Russian government to “protec[t] the innocence of these children” to Putin while the two leaders met in Alaska.
“He responded in writing, signaling a willingness to engage with me directly and outlining details regarding the Ukrainian children residing in Russia,” she told reporters. “And since then, President Putin and I have had an open channel of communication regarding the welfare of these children. For the past three months, both sides have participated in several back-channel meetings and calls, all in good faith.”
She then broke the good news — eight children have been “rejoined with their families” in the past 24 hours.
Ukraine’s official “Bring Kids Back” program states that there are nearly 20,000 reports of “unlawful deportations and forced transfers of children” since Russia invaded in 2022, with 1,605 having been returned.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023, accusing him of “war crimes” in relation to the children being held in his country, NBC News reported.
The children have been taken to over 200 locations throughout Russia, with many being adopted by Russian families and forced to go through “re-education” programs while older children have received military training, according to a Yale School of Public Health Humanitarian Research Lab report.
WATCH — Melania’s Letter to Putin to End the War Hit Home:
“Each child has lived in turmoil because of the war in Ukraine,” Melania Trump continued, before sharing details on the eight newly returned children. “Three were separated from their parents and displaced to the Russian Federation because of frontline 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. I have learned a lot about this matter during the past three months.”
According to the first lady, Russia has “demonstrated a willingness to disclose objective and detailed information reflective for the current situation,” including the biographies, photos, and medical records of each of the eight children that had been jointly verified by the U.S. government and Ukrainian human rights officials.
She reiterated her commitment to bringing home children suffering from the war, including those who had recently turned 18, and stated that “plans are already underway to reunify more children in the immediate future.”
“I hope peace will come soon, it can begin with our children. Thank you,” she concluded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Melania Trump for bringing attention to the issue following her August letter to Putin, stating, “Her voice matters, and her care gives strength to this cause.”
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
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