US First Lady Melania Trump confirmed to reporters at the White House that she is in active contact with representatives of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The main goal of these negotiations is to accelerate the process of returning Ukrainian children taken to Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. This is reported by UNN.
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The negotiation process intensified after Melania Trump's personal letter to Putin, which President Donald Trump delivered last August. According to the East Wing of the White House, thanks to the advocacy efforts of the First Lady, 15 children have already been returned to Ukraine, including seven in December 2025.
"I'm working on it, and we're in the process. I hope we'll succeed very soon."
Ukraine officially accuses Russia of abducting at least 19,000 children. The Russian side continues to deny the fact of deportation, calling the removal of minors "evacuation for protection from hostilities." The participation of the US First Lady in this process is considered one of the key humanitarian communication channels between Washington and Moscow.
Humanitarian mission amid escalation
Melania Trump's statement came on the same day that representatives of Ukraine and Russia reported "productive" talks under US auspices on ending the war. At the same time, the situation on the front remains extremely tense: at the beginning of the week, Russia launched a massive attack on Ukrainian cities, using a record number of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones.
In addition to the Ukrainian issue, the US First Lady continues to work on the release of hostages in other regions. On Wednesday, she met with Keith and Aviva Siegel – former Israeli-American hostages released from Hamas captivity. This indicates the expansion of Melania Trump's role in US foreign policy, despite her general restraint in the public sphere during her husband's second term.