First lady Melania Trump said Ukrainian and Russian children in a fifth reunification group have rejoined their communities.
Five children were reunited Thursday, totaling 30 children who have been returned home, according to the White House
“While diplomacy and peacebuilding are important to this effort, they are surpassed by our collective ability to place children above international disputes. Every reunion is a reminder that compassion, dignity, and family can transcend even the darkest of times: war,” Mrs. Trump said in a statement. “My representative and I continue working with the governments of Russia and Ukraine to safely return children to their families and communities.”
Her child reunification initiative was launched in October following a summit in Anchorage, Alaska, where President Trump hand-delivered her letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger,” the letter read.
The first official group of eight children was successfully reunited with families that October.
In April, the fourth reunification round was announced, facilitating the return of six Ukrainian minors from Russia and scheduling an additional minor later that month.
“The first lady’s leadership has bridged political divides in pursuit of a singular humanitarian mission: placing the well-being of children above conflict and helping restore families torn apart by war,” the White House announced in a Thursday news release.
The Russia-Ukraine war, into its fifth year, has wracked children through thousands of casualties, mass displacement and the forced deportation of nearly 20,000 verified minors to Russia.
Two-thirds of all Ukrainian children were displaced in the early months following the 2022 Russian invasion.
Almost 700 children were killed and over 1,800 injured between February 2022 and the end of 2024, but actual figures are likely much higher, according to the United Nations Human Rights Office.
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