WASHINGTON, April 2 - The White House said on Thursday that six Ukrainian children will be returned from Russia and reunited with their families in Ukraine, attributing the expedited returns to efforts by first lady Melania Trump. The first lady’s office added that a seventh child is expected to be returned to their family later this month.
According to the statement released by the first lady’s office, Melania Trump wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin in August to raise concerns about Ukrainian children separated from their families because of the war. The White House said this was the fourth occasion on which the U.S. first lady had intervened to accelerate such a return.
"Reunifying children with their loved ones in this region of the world remains one of the most important global issues today. I am encouraged that both sides remain committed to ongoing cooperation, raising the safety and well-being of children above this abhorrent war," the statement said.
Ukraine has alleged that close to 20,000 children have been illegally sent to Russia and Belarus, and has said some of those children have been subjected to military training and forced to fight against their own country’s troops. These allegations have fed international scrutiny and legal responses.
A United Nations investigation published last month concluded that the deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022 amounted to crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and five other Russians regarding the illegal deportation of children.
Moscow has rejected claims that children are being taken against their will, saying instead that people have been evacuated voluntarily to remove them from a war zone. The White House statement described the returns as part of ongoing cooperation between the parties to prioritize the safety and welfare of children affected by the conflict.
Details on the identities of the children, the logistics of their return, and arrangements for their reception in Ukraine were not provided in the statement. The announcement focused on the role of the first lady’s diplomatic outreach and the continued, but limited, cooperation between the involved parties to reunify children with family members.