In a surprising diplomatic coup, former First Lady of the United States Melania Trump personally delivered a letter of invitation to Vladimir Putin. That was the backdrop for the first direct peace negotiations between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Although she did not attend the summit in person, her letter raised significant concerns regarding the plight of children caught in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
As we know from Melania Trump’s pseudonymous correspondence, influence on child abduction. The origin of this crisis is the war that started when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. While the exact contents of the letter remain undisclosed, it underscored her commitment to advocating for children’s rights and welfare—a mission reminiscent of Eleanor Roosevelt’s legacy as a champion for vulnerable children.
The White House praised Ukraine’s recent, urgent step of raising awareness for the abduction of 20,000-plus Ukrainian children. This issue is especially urgent for the rest of us as Donald Trump begins his second term as president. At the time, Melania Trump raised her appreciation that the world was rallying around Ukraine’s children with tremendous support. Our Bring Kids Back UA campaign recently recognized her work fighting for these at-risk kids.
Needless to say, Ukrainian officials have been pleasantly surprised by Melania Trump’s lobbying so far. According to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Melania during a phone call last week. The interview was Donald Trump’s. This warm, fuzzy support from our first lady dovetails beautifully with the current international criticism about Russia’s policies to take Ukrainian children away from Ukraine.
So it was with an indictment by the International Criminal Court of Vladimir Putin in 2023. They indicted him for war crimes for having supposedly kidnapped Ukrainian children and deported them from occupied areas to Russia. This egregious act has received international outrage, including U.S. congressional resolutions to hold Russia responsible for such actions.
Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar are carrying the banner for this effort in Congress. They are pulling levers to condemn Russia’s abduction and illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. A bipartisan resolution introduced in July, led by Reps. Among them were calls for the return of these children to their families in Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials have described the illegal relocation of tens of thousands of children as a war crime. They claim that it meets the UN definition of genocide. Related Mykola Kuleba, Ukraine’s Commissioner for Children Rights, delivered an impassioned plea. As he put it, “The way they market our children home is no different than a slave auction. This is 21st century child trafficking at its worst and the world cannot allow it to continue.”
This severe humanitarian crisis just became exponentially more complicated. An online registry with information about 294 Ukrainian orphans has appeared, reportedly compiled by administrators in occupied areas. This catalog aims to underscore this systematic removal of children from their families during a continued conflict.
Gregory Meeks, a member of Congress, emphasized the severity of these incidents: “These atrocities are not isolated incidents.” His statement is in line with an increasing sense of urgency from lawmakers and advocates that immediate action is needed.