According to reports by CNN and Russia Today Television (RT) on the 10th, US First Lady Melania Trump revealed that she has been in direct contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin for several months and has carried out secret diplomatic activities to help children displaced by the Russia-Ukraine conflict reunite with their families.
On October 10, local time, Melania delivered a speech at the White House, saying that she had written a letter to Putin concerned about children's issues in August last year, and then received a written reply from Putin. Since then, the two sides have maintained "unblocked communication channels". She also said that in the past three months, the two sides have reunited eight Ukrainian children with their families through many secret talks and phone calls "in good faith", and "more children will be reunited in the near future".
Melania explained that because of the conflict, “every child lives in turmoil.” Some children were dispersed from their parents due to front-line battles and transferred to Russia, while others were dispersed from foreign relatives. She said that her representatives worked directly with Putin’s team to help identify children. The Russian side provided documents including a situation briefing, photos and child care reports, “the U.S. government has confirmed that the facts contained in the documents are accurate.”
Melania said the aim of the work was “to ensure the transparency and free exchange of health information” and “to promote regular contacts between children and their families until everyone can go home.”
Russian Commissioner for the Rights of the Child, Maria Livova-Belova, expressed her gratitude to the First Lady of the United States “for the attention and care of families of children affected by the military conflict.”