Ukraine announces saving 23 children from occupied territories. Other eight, brought home with the help of Melania Trump
Twenty -three Ukrainian children were brought from the territories occupied by the Russians, and eight others were gathered with their families following the efforts of the US first lady, Melania Trump, against the background of intensifying Kiev.
23 Ukrainian children were evacuated from areas occupied by Russia Photo: AFP
Twenty -three children and Ukrainian teenagers were safely brought from the areas occupied by the Russians in the territory controlled by Kiev, President Volodimir Zelenski, Andriy Yermak, announced on Thursday. He wrote on Telegram that the operation was carried out within the Presidential Program “Bring Kids Back UA”, meant to safely bring back the children deported to Russia or stuck in occupied areas.
The first lady of the United States, Melania Trump, said on Friday that eight Ukrainian children were gathered with their families, following discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Melania Trump revealed that, in August, she sent a letter to the Kremlin leader, whom her husband, Donald Trump, personally handed Putin during the Alaska meeting.
“President Putin responded to my letter and, after that, I set an open communication channel in relation to the well -being of these children ”said the first lady at the White House, quoted by The Guardian. “We agreed to cooperate for the good of all those involved in this war ”she added, stating that reunification of children with their families took place “In the last 24 hours”.
In 2022, the Associated Press agency documented the abductions of Ukrainian children by Russia, and the international criminal court subsequently issued an arrest warrant on behalf of Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes and direct responsibility for these deportations.
International Pressure and Trump's statements
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Washington and NATO allies “Intensifies the pressure” To put an end to the Ukraine's war, after his attempts to get an armistice from Vladimir Putin were not successful. “Yes, we intensify the pressure“, Trump said in a meeting with the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, in the Oval Office.”We do this together. We all intensify the pressure. NATO was great ”he added, mentioning that his administration could impose new sanctions to Russia.
In another message, Zelenski suggested the opportunity to nominate on Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize: “If Trump offers the world – especially to the Ukrainian people – the chance of such an armistice, then yes, it should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. We will nominate it in the name of Ukraine”.
Military and energy situation
Russia accused Ukraine on Thursday of breaking an ammonia line now, releasing toxic gases in the air, near the village on the line of the Russian Yar, in the Donetk region. At the same time, the International Agency for Atomic Energy announced that it has begun the process of restoring the energy power supply of the Zaporojie nuclear power plant, disconnected from the network for more than two weeks.
On the battlefield, the recent Ukrainian offensive disturbed Russia's plans to capture parts of the east of Donetsk, Zelenski said. The Ukrainian rocket Palianytsia hit dozens of Russian military warehouses, and the row-racket recently attacked an offshore Russian oil platform over 250 km away, which Zelenski called “a great success“For the new weapon.
Future discussions and sanctions
Zelenski has announced that the prime minister of Ukraine, the head of the Presidential Bureau and a top sanctions will go to the US at the beginning of next week for discussions with American officials. “The subjects include air defense, energy and steps related to sanctions, as wellZelenski wrote on social networks.
