First Lady Melania Trump revealed on Friday that she played a vital role in reuniting eight Ukrainian children with their families in just 24 hours, following their abduction during the ongoing conflict instigated by Russia. She expressed hope to facilitate further reunifications through an existing āopen channelā with President Vladimir Putin.
āA childās spirit transcends borders,ā the First Lady remarked, sharing emotional stories during her announcement made in the grand foyer of the White House, highlighting the devastating impacts of kidnapping that have separated countless Ukrainian families amid the prolonged conflict.
The eight children were part of the thousands who have faced separation from their families under what the Kremlin labeled as āevacuationsā in Ukraine, which, in truth, were acts of forced deportation.
Many of these children were forcibly taken from their families or orphanages during the turmoil of the early stages of the war, especially in regions of eastern Ukraine occupied by Russian forces.
Entire boarding schools were cleared, with children taken away on buses only to vanish without any trace.
Some of these children were later included in a disturbing adoption database that categorized them by age, physical traits, and number of siblings, an act denounced by non-governmental humanitarian organizations as ādigital child trafficking disguised as bureaucracy.ā
The forced separations have led to an arrest warrant for Putin issued by the International Criminal Court in March 2023.
Ukraine continues to face challenges in locating and repatriating the children abducted by Russian forces since the escalation of its invasion in 2022, with officials estimating that over 19,500 children remain unaccounted for, and the actual figure likely exceeds that number.
Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska shared with The Post in an interview that the returning children often display mental distress, stating, āThe children who return are often deeply affected ā they are in emotional turmoil. It takes time for them to regain confidence once they are back.ā
On Friday, Melania Trump shared that Russia has now consented to reunite Ukrainian children who have turned 18 during the war with their families, suggesting that āplans are already in motion for additional reunifications in the near term.ā
Reports from the Yale School of Public Health Humanitarian Research Lab indicate that the Kremlin has dispersed kidnapped children across more than 200 facilities in Russia, subjecting them to pro-Russian indoctrination and military training.
Some children have reportedly been forcibly adopted by Russian families, making their return increasingly complex, as pointed out by Zelenska.
Melania Trump underscored the importance of the issue in her letter to Putin, which was presented at the summit with President Trump, noting, āmuch has developed since he received my correspondence.ā
Since then, āPresident Putin and I have established an open line of communication,ā the Slovenian-born former model detailed, mentioning various back-channel discussions and meetings that have occurred.
She highlighted that her discussions also involved Zelenska, who leads the initiative in Kyiv dubbed āBring Back Kidsā aimed at retrieving children forcefully taken to Russia, during a recent 20-minute discussion on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
āThis is among the most heartbreaking repercussions of this conflict for all Ukrainians,ā Zelenska expressed during an August interview with The Post. āWe could not safeguard their rights when they were taken by the Russians ā forced away without consent, records, or any form of transparency.ā
Zelenska extended her gratitude to Melania Trump for her efforts to assist in the return of the Ukrainian children to their families, as conveyed by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US, Olha Stefanishyna, to The Post.
āMadame Zelenska expressed her appreciation to the First Lady for her soft power and impactful messages,ā she noted.
