WASHINGTON – Melania Trump has reunited another Ukrainian child with their family, the 34th such joyful homecoming she has helped facilitate as the war with Russia continues.
“There is nothing more powerful than reuniting a mother with her child after an extended period of time,” the first lady said in a statement Monday.
“My representative and I are focused on helping facilitate the next reunification of individuals who have been separated from their loved ones because of the war between Ukraine and Russia.”
Earlier this month, Trump announced she and her team had helped a fifth group of Ukrainian and Russian children be reunited with loved ones. The Russian youngers had been living in Ukraine with their families before the war started and got separated from kin.
As for Ukrainian chlidren, thousands have been taken from homes and orphanages — mainly in the occupied east of the country — to Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The United Nations said in March it had verified the kidnapping of more than 1,200 kids across five regions of Ukraine. The Ukrainian government claims the true number is as high as 20,000.
Trump wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin in August 2025, urging him to protect children affected by the war. Her letter was hand-delivered by hubby President Trump in Alaska when he met with the Russian leader.
Putin responded by declaring Melania had an “open channel of communication” with him, the first lady said.
She has made children’s issues a central platform in her husband’s second term. In addition to her work in Ukraine, Melania has spoken up for foster children in general and urged educators to adapt to new technologies, including AI.
She and her team have used diplomatic back channels to return children to their families in Ukraine.
The latest reunification involving the Ukrainan girl and her family comes as Kyiv launched one of its biggest attacks of the war, sending hundreds of drones across Russia.
Kyiv has stepped up its attacks as Ukrainian President Zelensky has lobbied President Trump for more weapons aid, including a license to build Patriot Missiles.
Russia responded to the latest attack by hitting the Danube port in the southern region of Odessa, a major waterway between Ukraine and the rest of Europe.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin and his children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belovam in 2023 for the alleged unlawful deportation of kids.
Russia denies the accusation and says it merely removing children from war zones for their own safety.
