First Lady Melania Trump announced that eight Ukrainian children have been returned to their families after being displaced in the country’s war with Russia.
“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,” Trump said, noting that she and Russian President Vladimir Putin have had an “open channel of communication” since they exchanged letters in August pertaining to Ukrainian children present in Russia.
“My representative has been working directly with President Putin’s team to ensure the safe reunification of children with their families between Russia and Ukraine,” she stated. “In fact, eight children have been rejoined with their families during the past twenty-four hours.”
“Each child has lived in turmoil because of the war in Ukraine. Three were separated from their parents and displaced to the Russian Federation because of frontline fighting,” the first lady explained. “The other 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.”
“Russia has demonstrated a willingness to disclose objective and detailed information reflective of the current situation,” she added. “The Russian Federation provided biographies and photographs of each child involved in this week’s reunification, along with an overview of the social, medical, and psychological services afforded to the Ukrainian children.”
The first lady recently unveiled the Fostering the Future Together initiative during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The initiative invites nations to support the well-being of children through education, innovation, and technology.
