Melania Trump works on reunification of children separated during Russia-Ukraine war
First Lady Melania Trump surprised White House observers with an announcement on Friday that she has been in close communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his staff as part of an effort to reunify children and their parents separated during the war in Ukraine.
With stoic poise, Melania spoke from the White House, where she credited the Russian autocrat and his staff for compiling a public database of children, allowing their parents to identify them. Eight children have been returned home since the program launched 24 hours ago, she revealed.
“We have agreed to cooperate with each other for the benefit of all people involved in this war,” she said about Putin.
Melania told reporters that “much has unfolded” since she first sent a letter to Putin in August pleading with him to join her in an effort to return children to their parents who lost them during Russia’s two-year bombardment of Ukraine. Thousands of the country’s youth have been seized by Russian forces in that time.
Putin has demonstrated a “willingness to engage” with the First Lady “directly” about “details regarding the Ukrainian children residing in Russia,” she said from the White House.
“Since then, President Putin and I have had an open channel of communication regarding the welfare of these children,” she said.
“Eight children have been rejoined with their families during the past 24 hours. Each child has been left in turmoil because of the war in Ukraine. Three were separated from their parents, displaced to Russia…the other five were separated from family members across borders because of the conflict,” Melania added.
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While children can be victims of warfare, it is unusual for them to be POWs. Russia appears to be working with Melania Trump to return them to their parents.
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