US EditionAdvocates Worry About Melania Trump’s Rhetoric Around Returned Ukrainian Children
More than 19,000 Ukrainian children were forcibly taken by Russia, with concerns that President Putin may be manipulating Melania Trump's efforts to secure their return.
- On October 10, 2025, First Lady Melania Trump announced eight children were reunited earlier this month and said President Vladimir Putin responded in writing, noting an `open channel of communication`.
- The Institute for the Study of War and Yale Humanitarian Research Lab reported nearly 19,500 deported children moved to at least 210 locations for re-education and combat training last month.
- Advocates and William Taylor, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, warn Putin is `cynically using` the first lady, while Nathaniel Raymond of Yale cites 35,000 kidnapped Ukrainian children, criticizing focus on eight returns.
- Some U.S. officials praised the reunions last week and said the first lady seems genuinely interested, even as President Donald Trump equivocated on numbers between 20,000 and 300 amid Hill skepticism.
- Since her announcement, advocates fear First Lady Melania Trump’s involvement could whitewash Moscow’s culpability and say her office `needs to hear` warnings, though a White House aide sees no sign she believes Putin.
12 Articles
12 Articles
By Betsy Klein and Kylie Atwood, CNN While praising first lady Melania Trump’s efforts to return Ukrainian children held in Russian captivity, President Donald Trump last week appeared to downplay estimates of the number of children allegedly abducted since the war began. Sitting across the table in the Cabinet Room, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made no attempt to correct his counterpart or answer a reporter’s question about whether he…
'First lady needs to hear': Concern raised that 'Putin is cynically using' Melania Trump
First lady Melania Trump has pledged to get Ukrainian children returned from Russian captivity, but her mission is fraught with high-stakes risks.President Donald Trump's wife last week hailed the return of eight Ukrainian children to their families, and while advocates celebrated the reunions, they also raised concerns about the first lady's passive-voice characterization of how they ended up in Russia, reported CNN.“Everyone is moving very car…
‘Language matters’: Advocates worry about Melania Trump’s rhetoric around returned Ukrainian children
While praising first lady Melania Trump’s work to return Ukrainian children from Russian captivity, President Donald Trump last week seemed to downplay the estimates of the number of children allegedly abducted since the war began.
Melania Trump’s Push to Return Ukrainian Children
Key Takeaways First lady Melania Trump is working to bring Ukrainian children home from Russian control. Advocates warn she must call out Russia’s role more clearly. Experts say up to 35,000 Ukrainian children face abduction and re-education. Critics fear Putin may use the effort to gain sympathy from the Trump family. First lady Melania Trump began a mission to get Ukrainian children back from Russia. Last week, she praised the return of eight…
Defenders welcome Melania Trump's work to bring back Ukrainian children, but are concerned that they can be doing Putin's game
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