Eight Ukrainian children who were kidnapped from their families and held captive in Russia have been returned to Ukraine after back-channel negotiations between First Lady Melania Trump and Russian representatives, the First Lady said on Friday.
Ms Trump, a former model who was born in Slovenia, made the stunning announcement in the Grand Foyer of the White House. She told reporters “much [had] unfolded” since she sent a letter in August to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the fate of the thousands of children who’ve been taken to Russia after being seized by Russian forces during the attempted invasion of Ukraine.
She said Putin had responded in writing to signal a “willingness to engage” with the First Lady “directly” and provided her with “details regarding the Ukrainian children residing in Russia.”
“Since then, President Putin and I have had an open channel of communication regarding the welfare of these children,” she said.
Ms Trump also told reporters that “both sides” of the talks had participated in “several back channel meetings and calls” and had “agreed to cooperate with each other for the benefit of all people involved in this war.”
Additionally, she said her “representative” had been “working directly with President Putin’s team to ensure the safe reunification of children with their families between Russia and Ukraine,” starting with eight such children who have been “rejoined with their families” over the last 24 hours.
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