Russia announces repatriation of children and thanks Melania Trump. The message sent by the commissar to Putin
Maria-Lvova Belova. Credit: Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin Pool/Zuma Press/Profimedia
Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, said on Thursday that six more children were returning to their families in Russia and Ukraine and thanked US first lady Melania Trump, according to Reuters.
One child will return to Russia, while five others will be reunited with their families in Ukraine, Maria Lvova-Belova said.
In August 2025, Melania Trump wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the plight of Ukrainian children who were separated from their families because of the war. Ukraine accuses Russia of abducting thousands of children, a charge Moscow denies.
What Melania Trump wrote to Putin in the letter handed during the summit
In her post on the Telegram messaging app, Maria Lvova-Belova thanked Melania Trump for her “unwavering commitment and active participation in reuniting children with their families.”
A statement was also sent by the White House, which said that another group of Russian and Ukrainian children have returned to their families, with the help of first lady Melania Trump. The American side did not mention the number of children involved.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court indicted Vladimir Putin for “illegal deportation of children” and “illegal transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation,” according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a London-based think tank. The arrest warrant issued targets both the president and Maria Lvova-Belova.
Kiev accuses Russia of deporting more than 19,500 children from Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Melania Trump's letter to Vladimir Putin
The letter was personally handed to the Russian president by his American counterpart in August, before the summit they had in Alaska.
The letter begins with “Dear President Putin,” with the first lady adding that all children, regardless of where they are born — whether in a rural village or a busy city — share the same dreams of love, opportunity and safety.
“As parents, it is our duty to nurture the hope of the next generation. As leaders, the responsibility to support our children extends beyond our comfort,” she said.
Pleading for a dignified world where all can live in peace, she wrote: “The descendants of each generation begin their lives with a purity – an innocence that stands above geography, government and ideology.”
The first lady wrote that some children endure with “quiet laughter … a silent defiance” in the midst of hardship. “Mr. Putin, you can restore their melodious laughter yourself,” she said. “By protecting the innocence of these children, you will be doing more than just serving Russia – you will be serving humanity itself.”
