Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally delivered a letter from his wife, Olena Zelenska, to U.S. First Lady Melania Trump during his Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump on Monday. The letter expressed gratitude and highlighted concerns over Ukrainian children abducted during the war.
Zelenskyy praised Melania Trump for her advocacy on behalf of children, stressing the urgency of the issue. He noted that the letter was specifically addressed to her, saying, “It’s not to you, it’s to your wife.”
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that the letter focused on the plight of abducted children, a deeply sensitive subject. His remarks come amid growing concerns that nearly 20,000 children have been unlawfully taken from Ukraine through forced transfers, family separations, and kidnappings.
In response, President Trump remarked that Melania has a deep love for children and shares the same concerns, noting that she has been moved by the suffering caused by the war.
Melania Trump, in her own earlier letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urged compassion toward children and called for restoring their “melodic laughter” despite the devastation of conflict.