AFP/GettyUkraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has handed Donald Trump a letter of gratitude for his spouse Melania, written by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, after Melania advocated to shield kids.
Zelensky has thanked Melania for raising awareness about at least 19,500 Ukrainian kids his authorities says have been kidnapped by Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
His feedback come after Melania despatched Russian President Vladimir Putin her own letter imploring him to think about kids, saying that “in protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone – you serve humanity”.
Her letter did not reference any particular kids.
Over the weekend, the White House shared on social media the letter to Putin.
In it, Melania said every youngster desires “of love, possibility and safety from danger”.
“Mr Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter,” she wrote.
Answering a reporter’s query about the letter on Monday, Trump said his spouse, who felt very strongly, has a great love of kids and “hates to see something like this happening”, including the same goes for other wars.
“She would love to see this end, she says it very openly, very proudly, and with great sorrow because so many people have been killed,” he said.
Zelensky praised Melania “for her attention to one of the most painful and difficult issues of this war – the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia,” including “we deeply appreciate her compassion”.
“This issue lies at the heart of the war’s humanitarian tragedy – our children, broken families, the pain of separation.”
Ukraine’s president continued: “Her voice matters, and her care gives strength to this cause.”
The Ukrainian authorities says around 19,500 kids have been deported and/or forcibly eliminated from their houses to Russia or Russian-occupied territories, with roughly 1,500 returned.
In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for the alleged illegal deportation of kids.
Russia denies the accusation and says it has protected susceptible kids by transferring them from a struggle zone for their own security.
The return of kids is half of Ukraine’s place in peace negotiations with Russia.
After Monday’s assembly of Zelensky, Trump and European leaders in the White House, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said on social media: “The human cost of this war must end.”
“And that means every single Ukrainian child abducted by Russia must be returned to their families.”
She thanked Trump for “his clear commitment today to ensuring these children are reunited with their loved ones”.
Von der Leyen was responding to a social media post from Trump, who said lacking kids worldwide has been an challenge of significance to Melania particularly.
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