President Donald Trump has been working with, or actually on, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky for months now, trying to end the carnage wrought by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the military conflict it triggered. Thousands have died and entire city centers have been left in rubble.
First Lady Melania Trump also has been working on the conflict, but on another point.
She has been trying to reunite children with their parents.
CBS News explains she has confirmed eight Ukrainian children kept in Russia by the conflict now have been returned and reunited with their families in just the last 24 hours.
More reunifications are pending.
“She also said Russia has agreed to coordinate the return of Ukrainians who were children when they were displaced by the war, but have since turned 18, ‘within a short period of time,’” the report said.
The report said when Russia invaded in 2022, the military included in its campaigns the “systematic and forcible abduction of children.”
Ukraine’s state-run “Bring Kids Back” program charges that more than 19,500 Ukrainian children were targeted.
HOLY SMOKES
First Lady Melania Trump just announced that she’s been working behind the scenes with Russian President Vladimir Putin to return displaced children to their homes in Ukraine.
Most powerful woman in the world.pic.twitter.com/U3DfhpHhql
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) October 10, 2025
Melania Trump said she’s been working with Putin and his team to reunite the families. She first approached him by letter, the report said.
“Since then, President Putin and I have had an open channel of communication regarding the welfare of these children. For the past three months, both sides have participated in several backchannel meetings and calls, all in good faith. We have agreed to cooperate with each other for the benefit of all people involved in this war. My representative has been working directly with President Putin’s team to ensure the safe reunification of children with their families between Russia and Ukraine,” she announced on Friday.