First lady Melania Trump announced Thursday morning that seven Ukrainian children — six boys and one girl — have been returned to their families.
As Russia’s war with Ukraine rages on, Russian soldiers have nabbed Ukrainian children in an effort to warp their worldview against their country. Nearly 20,000 estimated Ukrainian children have yet to be repatriated. Russia has been widely condemned for the actions, which are seen as a war crime.
The first lady has made children one of her top priorities throughout both terms. She launched the “Be Best” public awareness campaign to combat cyberbullying until the end of President Donald Trump’s first term.
“My dedication to guaranteeing the safe return of children to their families in this region is unwavering,” the first lady said.
“I commend the leadership and persistent diplomacy of Russia and Ukraine in the pursuit of the reunification of children and families,” she added. “Their bridge-building has created a tangible collaborative environment—an anchor for optimism. This cooperation will continue to drive the process forward through the next phase.”
LAWMAKERS SAY REPATRIATION OF UKRAINIAN CHILDREN TAKEN BY RUSSIAN FORCES NOT UP FOR NEGOTIATION
Trump said last month that eight children had been returned to their families after she opened a line of communication with the Kremlin. She penned a letter in August urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to protect children and “single handedly restore their melodic laughter.”
U.S. lawmakers have made it clear that the return of the children is not optional in a Ukraine peace deal. The Senate Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs held a hearing on Wednesday, highlighting the children’s abduction.
Both Republicans and Democrats at the hearing believed the mass abduction to be unacceptable.
“There’ll be sacrifices made” in any agreement to end the war, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said during his opening remarks at the hearing, “but one of the sacrifices we’re not going to make is to give Russia 19,000 Ukrainian children. That’s not a sacrifice I’m willing to make. I doubt if anybody up here is willing to make a sacrifice. This is not about land. This is about families. It’s about the very fabric of society.”
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) added that any peace deal to end the war that doesn’t include consequences for Russia’s kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children would be “unacceptable” and argued that doing so would “set a very dangerous precedent for the world.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said the abduction of children in the war constitutes genocide.
“It is genocide because the ultimate goal of abducting these children is to erase Ukrainian identity. It is part of a strategic effort to erase the nation of Ukraine from existence, and Putin tried it by conquering territory,” he said in the hearing.
The committee unanimously voted to advance legislation to deem Russia a state-sponsor of terrorism if it does not return the abducted children.
Russia has said the abduction accusation is false. At a vote for a United Nations resolution to prod Russia into returning the children, which was backed by the U.S., Russia’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Maria Zabolotskaya said any support for the resolution is “support for lies, war, and confrontation.”
“Every vote against is a vote for peace,” she said.
Trump said the U.S. has provided “humanitarian support” to help the reunification plan.
“In close partnership, my representative and I have provided humanitarian support from the United States to enhance the reunification initiative’s outcome. My hope is that, ultimately, our collective efforts will lead to broader regional stability,” she said.
There’s some speculation as to the exact number of abducted children. Ukrainian officials believe the number to be around 19,500, while others think it could be significantly higher.
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska said during a meeting with French first lady Brigitte Macron and others in Paris that 1,859 Ukrainian children have been brought back to the country so far.
“The abduction of children by Russians is violence, intimidation, separation from loved ones, lies, and loss of identity,” Zelenska wrote on X after the meeting.
“But the journey does not end with the child returning home. Psychological and social rehabilitation is needed. Ukraine is creating special programs for this purpose. We are grateful to every person in the world who hears the pain of children and helps us defend justice,” she added.