Why Ukraine’s First Lady Wrote to Melania Trump
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday delivered a letter of gratitude from his wife, Olena Zelenska, to Donald Trump for the former First Lady Melania Trump. The note, Zelensky said, recognized Melania’s advocacy for protecting children amid the war in Ukraine.
Zelensky thanked Melania for drawing attention to the plight of at least 19,500 Ukrainian children his government claims have been abducted by Russia since its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Melania Trump herself had recently written to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to consider the welfare of children. “In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone — you serve humanity,” she wrote, without naming specific cases.
The White House shared her letter publicly over the weekend. “Every child dreams of love, possibility, and safety from danger,” she wrote. “Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter.”
When asked about her message on Monday, Donald Trump said his wife felt “very strongly” about the issue, adding: “She would love to see this end … very proudly, and with great sorrow because so many people have been killed.”
Zelensky praised Melania for her compassion: “This issue lies at the heart of the war’s humanitarian tragedy — our children, broken families, the pain of separation. Her voice matters, and her care gives strength to this cause.”
Ukraine maintains that around 19,500 children have been forcibly removed to Russia or Russian-occupied territories, though only about 1,500 have been returned. In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russia’s children’s commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, over the alleged deportations. Moscow rejects the accusations, claiming it relocated vulnerable children for their safety.
The return of children remains a central demand in Ukraine’s peace negotiations. After Monday’s talks at the White House, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed: “The human cost of this war must end. And that means every single Ukrainian child abducted by Russia must be returned to their families.” She thanked Trump for showing “clear commitment” to that goal, echoing his own social media post noting that missing children worldwide has long been a cause close to Melania’s heart.
