U.S. President Donald Trump gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter from the first lady on Friday during a crunch meeting in Alaska, Reuters reported.
According to the news agency, citing two White House officials, the letter raised the plight of thousands of Ukrainian children who have reportedly been abducted by Russian forces since Putin ordered an all-out invasion in February 2022.
Newsweek contacted the White House and Russian Foreign Ministry for comment on Saturday via email outside regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Ukrainian authorities allege that tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been kidnapped by Russian authorities and taken either to Russia or to areas of Ukraine under Russian control.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in response to the alleged abduction of Ukrainian children. Russian authorities said children were removed from war zones for their own safety and described the warrant as “outrageous and unacceptable.”
First lady Melania Trump, who is Slovenian, taking a personal interest in the fate of Ukrainian children could put additional pressure on Putin over Russia’s conduct in the war.
What To Know
On Friday, Trump met with Putin at the Jointoa, to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. The talks ended without Putin committing to a ceasefire, though Trump said they had been “very productive” with “many points we agreed on.”
Reuters reported that during the meeting, Trump gave Putin a letter written by the first lady that raised concern over the fate of thousands of Ukrainian children said to be removed from their families without consent by Russian authorities. The exact content of the letter has not been reported.
According to Kyiv, about 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted since February 2022, which it said met the United Nations‘ definition of genocide.
In June 2024, the U.S. said it was aware of “credible reports” of Ukrainian children being listed on Russian adoption websites, which it described as “despicable and appalling.”
According to the British newspaper The Sun, some abducted Ukrainian children were barred from speaking in their own language and forced to sing the Russian national anthem. Moscow said it evacuated children from conflict areas as a humanitarian measure.
Trump has said his wife notes that Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian cities despite the U.S. president’s telephone calls with Putin.
According to USA Today, the president said in July: “I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.’ And she said, ‘Oh really? Another city was just hit.”
In recent weeks, Russian state media has criticized the fist lady, with one prominent pro-regime TV anchor describing her as a “Ukrainian agent.”
Following his meeting with Putin, Trump told Fox News‘ Sean Hannity that he had “largely agreed” with Putin about potential land swaps between Ukraine and Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said he would not hand over any Ukrainian territory to Moscow.
What People Are Saying
U.S. President Donald Trump, commenting on potential Russian sanctions after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, told Sean Hannity: “I think I don’t have to think about that now. … I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don’t have to think about that right now.”
Trump also said Putin, widely regarded as a dictator, gave him advice on how to run “honest elections.”
Standing alongside Trump in Alaska, Putin said: “Our negotiations have been held in a constructive atmosphere of mutual respect.”
Trump said: “I’ve always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin, with Vladimir. … We were interfered with by the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax. It made it a little bit tougher to deal with, but he understood it.”
What Happens Next
In remains to be seen whether the first lady’s letter will prompt any action from Moscow regarding Ukrainian children, and if not, whether the U.S. government will take any action.
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