In a surprising humanitarian development, Melania Trump announced last Friday that eight Ukrainian children displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war have been successfully reunited with their families.
The announcement came shortly after former President Donald Trump revealed that he had a “productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During that call, Trump said that Putin personally thanked Melania for her involvement in addressing the plight of children affected by the conflict.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“President Putin thanked the First Lady, Melania, for her involvement with children. He was very appreciative and said that this will continue.”
According to reports, the exchange of letters between Melania Trump and President Putin played a significant role in securing the safe return of the eight children to their families. The Kremlin leader’s response reportedly followed a letter from Melania that had been handed to him during the Alaska summit in August, which took place amid growing concerns about Donald Trump’s health after a mysterious medical visit.
Speaking in a televised interview last week, Melania shared:
“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.”
Her involvement highlights a rare moment of cooperation between Washington and Moscow, despite ongoing tensions surrounding Russia’s alleged deportation of Ukrainian children.
Last year, Leonid Pasechnik, the Kremlin-backed head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, announced that over 12,000 children from eastern Ukraine were to be sent to Russia for what he called “hosting programs.” In addition, a project named “Useful Vacations” was launched to send 40,000 Ukrainian children to Russian summer camps some reportedly located as far away as Vladivostok, nearly 6,000 miles from Ukraine.
Experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) described these “camps” as a “core element” of Russia’s broader strategy to forcibly relocate Ukrainian civilians, including children, into Russian territories.
While critics question the motives behind the Kremlin’s child relocation initiatives, Melania Trump’s intervention appears to have achieved a small but meaningful breakthrough the safe return of eight children to their families after years of separation and uncertainty.
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