US first lady Melania Trump on Friday said eight Ukrainian children have been reunited with their families after being separated from their loved ones amid the war with Russia.
Ms Trump added that this is an “ongoing effort”, and she maintains a line of communication with Russia's President Vladimir Putin about the issue.
“President Putin and I have had an open channel of communication about the welfare of these children,” Ms Trump said from the White House. “For the past few months, both sides have participated in several back-channel meetings and calls.”
The announcement was unusual for the first lady, who generally keeps a low profile. She spoke for several minutes and did not take any questions.
Ms Trump said she had written Mr Putin a letter earlier this year about the issue of children caught in the war, calling the matter “an important initiative” to her. Mr Trump delivered the letter himself to Mr Putin during a summit in Alaska over the summer.
“During the past three months, Russia has demonstrated a willingness to disclose objective and detailed information reflective for the current situation,” she said.
Ukraine says tens of thousands of children have been abducted by Russian forces, which Kyiv has called a war crime. Ukrainian officials say the children are undergoing “Russification” in an attempt to erase their cultural identity.
Moscow says it has been protecting children caught in the crossfire.
The first lady's announcement comes as President Donald Trump has been expressing displeasure with Mr Putin and Russia's actions in Ukraine, as the US leader continues to attempt to end the war.
Mr Trump had spoken of ending the war in one day when he returned to office and ending US military support for Ukraine.
But his efforts at ending the conflict that began after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 have stalled, despite the US President's repeated threats and the meeting with Mr Putin in Alaska.
