First Lady Melania Trump reunited Russian and Ukrainian children with their families, the third time she has done so.
“I appreciate that Russia and Ukraine are dedicated to bringing back the children who have been displaced because of the circumstances surrounding this conflict,” she said in a statement. “Although all parties are cooperating and our communications remain robust, I urge Russia and Ukraine to intensify their efforts to ensure the safe return of every child to their families and guardians.”
“Today marks the third reunification since I have been working strategically with both nations. I have no doubt more progress will come,” the first lady added.
In October, Mrs. Trump announced that eight Ukrainian children had been returned to their families after being displaced in the country’s war with Russia. Three children were separated from their parents and “displaced to the Russian Federation because of frontline fighting,” she explained at the time, while 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.”
In August, the first lady penned a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing concerns for the children.
The Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Russia, Maria Lvova-Belova, thanked Mrs. Trump for her “unwavering commitment and engagement in efforts to reunite children with their families.”
“Her coordination helped accelerate these reunifications and lays the groundwork for a faster process going forward,” she said. “Today, five children—four boys and one girl, aged 4 to 15—are being reunited with their families in Ukraine, and one child is returning to Russia. This work is being carried out on the instruction of President Vladimir Putin.”
