By Katharine Jackson
WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Seven more Ukrainian children have been returned from Russia to their families in a welcome sign of cooperation between the countries, U.S. first lady Melania Trump said on Thursday, a day after her husband said the path to peace was unclear.
The first lady has made the repatriation of Ukrainian children from Russia a priority as President Donald Trump seeks to end what is now a fourth year of war in Ukraine. In October, she said she had secured an open line of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that some children had been returned to their families with more to be reunited soon.
The latest repatriation included six boys and one girl, her office said.
“I commend the leadership and persistent diplomacy of Russia and Ukraine in the pursuit of the reunification of children and families. Their bridge-building has created a tangible collaborative environment – an anchor for optimism,” she said in a statement.
“My hope is that, ultimately, our collective efforts will lead to broader regional stability.”
Ukraine accuses Russia of abducting at least 19,000 of its children to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without the consent of family or guardians after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia has repeatedly denied abducting Ukrainian children, saying it acted to keep them safe from the fighting.
The United States joined scores of other countries at the United Nations General Assembly voting on Wednesday to demand that Russia immediately, safely and unconditionally return all Ukrainian children forcibly transferred.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry welcomed the resolution, saying on Thursday that only 1,850 children had been returned so far and calling for more international pressure on Russia.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in March 2023 for Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. Russia denounced the move as “outrageous and unacceptable.”
(Reporting by Katharine Jackson; additional reporting by Olena Harmash in Kyiv; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
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