First lady Melania Trump’s office said Thursday that she played a role in the return of an unspecified number of Ukrainian and Russian children separated from their families.
“For the third time, the US First Lady has helped facilitate the return of children to their families after they were separated because of the regional conflict,” her office said.
The statement did not say how many children of each nationality were affected. Ukraine’s government says as many as 20,000 Ukrainian children were taken to Russia to be raised as Russian citizens during the four-year war — of whom 1,984 have been returned.
The Kremlin claims the children were taken for humanitarian reasons.
“I appreciate that Russia and Ukraine are dedicated to bringing back the children who have been displaced because of the circumstances surrounding this conflict,” Melania Trump said Thursday. “Although all parties are cooperating and our communications remain robust, I urge Russia and Ukraine to intensify their efforts to ensure the safe return of every child to their families and guardians.”
The first lady, who is currently promoting a self-titled documentary, announced in October that she established an “open channel” with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss child reunification, leading to the return of eight children and plans for another five.
Her office said in December she helped with seven additional cases.
