Donald Trump hand-delivered a personal letter from first lady Melania Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their summit in Alaska, according to reports. The letter, obtained by Fox News, addresses the plight of children affected by the war in Ukraine but makes no direct reference to the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russian forces.
The White House had previously stated that the letter raised the issue of child abductions following Russia's 2022 invasion. However, the text released by Fox News is vague, speaking of children's dreams and innocence without specifically mentioning the transfer of children from occupied Ukraine to Russia. Melania Trump writes, 'You, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen today.'
Putin was indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2023 for alleged war crimes related to the abduction of children. Ukraine has condemned the removal of tens of thousands of children to Russia or Russian-occupied territories as genocide. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Melania Trump for her efforts during a call with Donald Trump, according to Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
The issue gained renewed attention in August when the NGO Save Ukraine accused Russia of 'state-sponsored child trafficking' after an online catalogue of Ukrainian orphans was published by a Russia-installed administration in the Luhansk region. The database includes names, photos, and descriptions of 294 children separated from their parents.
