Kiev [Ukraine], August 19 (ANI): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday thanked the First Lady of the United States for her “peace letter” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which raised the issue of the abduction of Ukrainian children.
Expressing his gratitude, Zelenskyy said he would work to negotiate an all-for-all exchange of prisoners of war. He shared the remarks in a post on X, writing, “I want to thank FLOTUS Melania Trump for her attention to one of the most painful and difficult issues of this war — the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia. We deeply appreciate her compassion and her letter to Putin. This issue lies at the heart of the war’s humanitarian tragedy — our children, broken families, the pain of separation. At least 20,000 children were taken. I asked President Trump to pass along a letter of gratitude from Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, to Melania. Her voice matters, and her care gives strength to this cause.”
Zelenskyy further emphasized that Ukraine is tirelessly working to bring every child home. He added, “The same applies for our prisoners of war and civilians held in Russia for years, some since 2014, in very bad conditions. Thousands of people still need to be freed — and this is a part of making peace. We will work to negotiate all-for-all prisoners of war exchange, and we are grateful to have strong friends who help.”
His comments came in response to a post by US President Donald Trump, who said Tuesday that he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had been discussing the “massive worldwide problem of missing children.” Trump called the matter a priority and stressed the importance of global cooperation to return children to their families.
On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Ursula von der Leyen, the distinguished and highly respected President of the European Commission, and I have been discussing the massive worldwide problem of missing children. This is, likewise, a big subject with my wife, Melania. It is a subject at the top of all lists, and the world will work together to solve it, hopefully bringing them home to their families!”
On August 15, US First Lady Melania Trump had penned a letter to Putin, urging that “it is time” for the protection of children and future generations. “Such a bold idea transcends all human division,” she wrote.
Earlier Tuesday, Zelenskyy presented Trump with a letter from Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, addressed to Melania Trump. The exchange came during Trump’s multilateral meeting in Washington with European Union leaders and Zelenskyy. The gathering followed Trump’s earlier meeting with Putin over the weekend.
European leaders also traveled to Washington to show solidarity with Ukraine and advocate for strong security guarantees in any post-war settlement. The meeting included Trump, Zelenskyy, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and Ursula von der Leyen. (ANI)
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