First Lady of the United States Melania Trump facilitated the return of Ukrainian and Russian children to their families, as reported by her office. The exact number of children who have been reunited with families in Ukraine and the Russian Federation is currently not disclosed.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Efforts of the First Lady and U.S. Assistance
According to Melania Trump’s press service, this is already the third instance in which she has participated in facilitating the return of children who were separated from their loved ones due to regional conflict. The First Lady’s office quotes her statement:
“I appreciate that Russia and Ukraine are committed to the return of children who have been displaced due to the circumstances surrounding this conflict. While all parties are cooperating and our communications remain strong, I urge Russia and Ukraine to intensify their efforts to ensure the safe return of every child to their families and guardians.”
In December 2025, the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, had already expressed gratitude to Melania Trump for her involvement in the return of Ukrainian children. Earlier that same month, the White House announced the return of seven more children to Ukraine – six boys and one girl. The First Lady emphasized her unwavering commitment to the safe reunification of children with their families.
In her statement, Melania Trump’s office also noted that she, along with a representative, provided humanitarian aid from the U.S. to support the initiative for the return of children.
Scale of the Deportation of Ukrainian Children and International Reaction
According to official data from the Ukrainian authorities, during the full-scale war, over 20,000 Ukrainian children found themselves on the territory of the Russian Federation and in occupied regions. However, according to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, Russia may have illegally taken about 150,000 children out of Ukraine. The Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Children’s Rights, Daria Gerasimchuk, cited figures of up to 200,000-300,000 individuals.
As of December 4, 2025, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General, 1,876 children have been successfully returned. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova. They are suspected of committing war crimes, including forced deportations and the relocation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories.
In July 2023, Russian Children’s Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova stated that Russia allegedly “accepted” about 4.8 million residents of Ukraine, among whom over 700,000 are children. According to her, most of the children allegedly arrived with their parents or relatives.