In a rare White House address, First Lady Melania Trump said Russia has agreed to return Ukrainian children who were taken to the country as minors and have since turned 18, marking what she described as a humanitarian breakthrough achieved through months of direct communication with President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking from the Grand Foyer on Friday, Trump said she has maintained an "open channel of communication" with Putin's government to facilitate reunifications of children displaced by the war in Ukraine. "We have agreed to cooperate with each other for the benefit of all people involved in this war," she stated.
The announcement comes as Ukraine continues to demand the return of nearly 20,000 children believed to have been abducted and sent to Russia since Moscow's invasion began in 2022. The Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab estimates the figure could be as high as 35,000, alleging that many of the children are being kept in "brainwashing and militarization camps." The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Putin and one of his aides for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian minors - a charge the Kremlin denies.
"Given the dangers of traversing this war-torn region, their safe return requires coordinated assistance," Trump said. "Accordingly, Russia has agreed to rejoin the individuals who have turned 18 within a short period of time. Plans are already underway to reunify more children in the immediate future."
She confirmed that eight Ukrainian children were reunited with their families in the past 24 hours - three who had been taken to Russia during the fighting, and five who were separated across borders. Trump said her team received a "detailed report" from Russian authorities documenting those reunifications. "Russia has demonstrated a willingness to disclose objective and detailed information reflective of the current situation," she said.
Trump's remarks offered a rare window into her diplomatic role, which has largely remained private since her husband, President Donald Trump, returned to office. The first lady said her involvement began in August, when she wrote a letter to Putin urging cooperation on behalf of Ukrainian children - a message that President Trump hand-delivered during his meeting with the Russian leader 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 said.
Since then, Trump said she has spoken with both Putin's team and Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska to coordinate humanitarian logistics. "For the past three months, both sides have participated in several calls, all in good faith," she said, describing the initiative as "built on shared purpose and lasting impact."
In closing, she emphasized that her goal is to continue facilitating regular reunifications until "every child is returned home." Reflecting on the moral dimension of the effort, Trump added, "A child's soul knows no borders, no flags. We must foster a future for our children which is rich with potential, security and complete with free will - a world where dreams will be realized rather than faded by war."
