Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The First Lady seems to be doing a lot of work behind the scenes.
U.S. President Donald Trump has described a recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin held Thursdag as “productive,” revealing that Putin personally thanked First Lady Melania Trump for her involvement in helping reunite kidnapped Ukrainian children with their families.
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, that the exchange between Melania and Putin played a key role in reuniting eight children separated by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Their correspondence reportedly began months earlier, with Melania handing a personal letter to Putin during Trump’s Alaska summit in August.
Last week, Melania confirmed in a televised interview that she had maintained communication with Russian officials to ensure the safety and reunification of displaced children. “For the past three months, both sides have engaged in back-channel meetings and calls, all in good faith,” she said according to Express US.
“Useful vacations”
Last year, Kremlin-backed leader Leonid Pasechnik announced plans to bring more than 12,000 children from the Luhansk region into Russia under the guise of “summer hosting.” The move drew criticism from human rights organizations, which labeled the program an attempt at forced relocation.
In addition, a separate initiative called “Useful Vacations” was launched to send as many as 40,000 Ukrainian children to camps across Russia. Officially described as cultural exchange programs, these trips have been accused of masking deportations under humanitarian pretenses.
Critics argue that Russia’s use of such programs is part of a wider campaign to assimilate or permanently relocate Ukrainian citizens from occupied territories.
A broader strategy
Researchers at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have analyzed these programs as key elements in a broader Russian effort to depopulate Ukrainian regions and indoctrinate children.
The think tank’s report characterizes the so-called “camps” as a “fundamental component” of Moscow’s deportation campaign.
Analysts note that these activities coincide with Russian narratives framing the relocation as protection or rescue, despite numerous reports of parents being denied information about their children’s whereabouts. The ISW findings echo warnings from international bodies calling for independent investigations.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
