WASHINGTON — First Lady Melania Trump declared on Friday that she has established an “open channel of communication” with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at resolving the humanitarian crisis involving children separated from their families amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Speaking from the White House, she said that over the past three months her team and officials from Putin’s office have convened several back-channel meetings and calls in “good faith” to coordinate child reunification efforts. In the past 24 hours, according to her account, eight children have been reunited with their families under this arrangement.
Melania said the initiative began after she sent a personal letter to Putin in August, which her husband delivered during his summit in Alaska. She also acknowledged that among those reunited are children who were displaced internally within Russia due to front-line combat, as well as those separated across international lines. For children who were minors at the time of displacement but have since reached adulthood, Melania said Russia has agreed to “rejoin” them with their families within a “short period of time.”
While the reunifications mark a rare humanitarian success amid the war’s wider stalemate, key questions remain about the scale, verification, and sustainability of the effort. Critics note that Russia has been accused of forcibly relocating tens of thousands of Ukrainian children — actions that have attracted war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court. Melania did not clarify whether she had direct contact with Putin himself, nor did she identify the representative coordinating with Russian officials.
Putin’s office acknowledged cooperation in humanitarian dialogues, praising Melania’s role, while emphasizing that the communication pertains strictly to child welfare and not broader political or military issues. The initiative comes amid broader frustration over stalled peace talks, and may be seen as one of the few constructive diplomatic backchannels between the United States and Russia on the Ukraine conflict.
