Five Ukrainian and Russian children, separated from their families due to the ongoing conflict, have been reunited with their relatives, according to an announcement Thursday by former first lady Melania Trump.
In a statement released by the White House, Trump emphasized the importance of placing children above international disputes, stating, "Every reunion is a reminder that compassion, dignity, and family can transcend even the darkest of times: war." She added that her representative and she "continue working with the governments of Russia and Ukraine to safely return children to their families and communities."
This marks the fifth instance of children affected by the conflict being reunited with their families since Trump announced in October that she had established an "open channel" with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the issue. The statement did not specify the nationality of the five children reunited.
Thousands of Ukrainian children have been transferred to Russia from homes, orphanages, and boarding schools since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The United Nations reported in March that it had verified the abduction of over 1,200 children from five regions in Ukraine, though the Ukrainian government estimates the number to be as high as 20,000.
The UN's Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine noted that while Russian authorities claimed these removals were for safety reasons, the fact that 80% of the children had not been returned after four years of war suggests otherwise.