Melania Trump helped reunite another Ukrainian child with family
US First Lady Melania Trump announced a new reunion of a Ukrainian child with family who were separated due to Russia's war against Ukraine. This is already the 34th Ukrainian child whose return to relatives, according to the American side, was facilitated by the First Lady's team.
The new case became known on Monday, August 17. Melania Trump stated that she and her representative will continue working on the return of people separated from their loved ones because of the war.
"There is nothing more powerful than reuniting a mother with her child after a long separation," — noted the US First Lady.
The current reunion continues the series of humanitarian operations in which Melania Trump's team is involved. On July 30, the White House reported the return of five more Ukrainian and Russian children to their relatives. This was already the fifth stage of such work.
In April, with the assistance of the US First Lady, the return of six Ukrainian children from Russia to their families in Ukraine was organized. Another child was planned to be returned later as part of the same stage. Previously, similar reunions were conducted in February 2026 and at the end of 2025.
The work of Melania Trump's team in this area began after her appeal to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In August 2025, the US First Lady wrote him a letter calling for attention to the fate of children separated from families by the war. Later she reported that she received a response and a communication channel between her representative and the Russian side was established on this issue.
The Ukrainian side previously thanked Melania Trump for her participation in the return of children. First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska noted in March that international pressure and the involvement of influential world leaders are necessary for the return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has moved Ukrainian children from occupied territories to the Russian Federation and other areas under its control. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Russian children's ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova in 2023 in connection with the alleged illegal deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
Previously, CURS Ukraina reported several previous stages of child returns with the participation of the US First Lady. In particular, in April it became known about the preparation of the return of six more Ukrainian children from Russia.
Based on materials: New York Post, White House
