Melania Trump writes to Putin about abducted children
President Trump hand-delivered the letter to Putin during their summit talks in Alaska, the officials told Reuters.
Slovenian-born Melania Trump was not on the trip to Alaska on Friday.
The officials would not divulge the contents of the letter other than to say it mentioned the abductions of children resulting from the war in Ukraine.
The existence of the letter was not previously reported.
Russia's seizure of Ukrainian children has been a deeply sensitive one for Ukraine.
Ukraine has called the abductions of tens of thousands of its children taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without the consent of family or guardians a war crime that meets the UN treaty definition of genocide.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy conveyed his gratitude to the first lady on his call with Trump on Saturday, Ukraine's foreign minister said.
"This is a true act of humanism," Andrii Sybiha added on X.
Previously Moscow has said it has been protecting vulnerable children from a war zone.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has said Russia has inflicted suffering on millions of Ukrainian children and violated their rights since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump and Putin met for nearly three hours at a US military base in Anchorage without reaching a ceasefire deal in the war in Ukraine.
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Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Alaska meeting dubbed ‘win for Putin' as President Donald Trump gives up on ceasefire, signals agreement with Russian demand
The latest attempt to bring an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine has been dubbed a 'win for Putin' after President Donald Trump walked away from demands for an immediate ceasefire. President Trump had gone into the Alaska meeting demanding President Putin agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, with the United States threatening to place massive sanctions on any country that continued to buy Russian oil. However, the US President came out of the meeting having dropped the demand, a move Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested would make ending the war more difficult. Despite this, President Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," President Trump said, before adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it (and) maybe they'll say no". Asked what he would advise President Zelenskyy to do, the US President said they have "gotta make a deal'. "Look, Russia is a very big power and they're not," he said. Discussing the meeting on Sky News Australia, Australian Strategic Policy Institute Senior Defence Analyst Malcolm Davis said the meeting had been a 'win for Putin' and 'a disaster for Trump'. 'I don't think anyone was expecting agreement to be reached on a ceasefire, let alone a peace deal, but essentially what happened was that Putin gained international recognition and basically credibility as an international leader, that Trump gave him, which he shouldn't have done,' he said. 'Trump really didn't achieve much… (He) seems to have adopted Putin's position of moving straight to a peace deal rather than a ceasefire. 'Putin has not retreated from his maximalist demands that really he reiterated in 2024 and going back to 2022.' According to Reuters, the deal proposed by President Putin would involve Ukraine ceding the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Luhansk and Donestk – a large portion of which it still controls. In return, Russia would agree to freeze the front lines in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia and hand back much smaller areas of land it has occupied in the northern and northeastern provinces of Sumy and Kharkiv, Russia currently holds approximately 440 square km in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, while Ukraine controls around 6,600 square km of the Donbas – almost all in the province of Donestk. Mr David said such an agreement would expose Ukraine to greater risk in the future. "He is basically asking for Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas… and if Ukraine were to accede to that demand, that they would then give up what's known as the fortress belt, which is a belt of cities and towns that are critical to their defence,' he told Sky News. 'That would then allow Putin to be very well placed to launch further attacks deep into Ukraine at a time of his choosing. 'So I think what you will see tomorrow in this meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump and with the Europeans there as well is that Zelenskyy and the Europeans will push back against any demands or any suggestion by Trump that Ukraine give up the territory in the Donbas. 'Because that would essentially sow the seeds for a much wider war down the track in Ukraine and potentially beyond Ukraine. 'The Baltic states, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, understand that they are the front line that if Ukraine is allowed to fall to Russian aggression, that the Baltic states will be next.' President Zelenskyy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities", such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, as a bulwark against further Russian advances. In a Truth Social post after the Alaska meeting, President Trump said he had spoken to President Zelenskyy and various European leaders during a late night phone call. 'It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,' he said. 'President Zelenskyy will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people's lives will be saved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' In his own post on X, President Zelenskyy said the fact Russia had rebuffed calls for a ceasefire 'complicates the situation'. 'The positions are clear. A real peace must be achieved, one that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions. Killings must stop as soon as possible, the fire must cease both on the battlefield and in the sky, as well as against our port infrastructure," he wrote. President Zelenskyy also called for Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians to be released and the children abducted by Russia to be returned. He also reiterated the importance of security guarantees, suggesting there had been 'positive signals' from President Trump on the matter. 'It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America. We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine's security,' he said. Asked about the negotiations between Presidents Trump and Putin, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was good President Trump was an "advocate for peace", but that Russia must not be rewarded for his actions. 'What we want to see is that the sovereignty of Ukraine be protected and that the illegal and immoral invasion conducted by Mr Putin and Russia are not rewarded,' he said. 'It's also important because of the precedent that Russia's invasion sets of a powerful nation invading a much smaller nation and engaging in the brutality, which we have seen at great cost to the Ukrainian people, but also at a great cost to Russian soldiers who've lost their lives as well."
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Trump urges Ukraine deal as Europe backs Zelenskiy
European leaders will join with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a key meeting with President Donald Trump after the US president's summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed she will travel to Washington with other European leaders for the gathering at the White House on Monday. Among those making the trip will be French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni along with the leaders of Finland and Sweden. The European leaders were also meeting with Zelenskiy on Sunday as part of the Coalition of the Willing. The show of support comes after Trump said Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaskan meeting, Trump told Zelenskiy the Russian president had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies had demanded. That was a change from his position before the summit, when he said would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on Truth Social. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. "We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing," he said on social media. "This complicates the situation. "If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater - peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades. "But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war." Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said he would meet Trump on Monday. That will evoke memories of a meeting in the White House Oval Office in February, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelenskiy a brutal public dressing-down. Trump said a three-way meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy could follow. Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. The war - the deadliest in Europe for 80 years - has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts. At the Alaskan meeting, Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. In a TV interview Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. Zelenskiy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities" such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as a bulwark against further Russian advances. Zelenskiy has also insisted on security guarantees, to deter Russia from invading again. For Putin, just sitting down with Trump represented a victory. He had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. Trump spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia. European leaders will join with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a key meeting with President Donald Trump after the US president's summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed she will travel to Washington with other European leaders for the gathering at the White House on Monday. Among those making the trip will be French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni along with the leaders of Finland and Sweden. The European leaders were also meeting with Zelenskiy on Sunday as part of the Coalition of the Willing. The show of support comes after Trump said Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaskan meeting, Trump told Zelenskiy the Russian president had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies had demanded. That was a change from his position before the summit, when he said would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on Truth Social. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. "We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing," he said on social media. "This complicates the situation. "If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater - peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades. "But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war." Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said he would meet Trump on Monday. That will evoke memories of a meeting in the White House Oval Office in February, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelenskiy a brutal public dressing-down. Trump said a three-way meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy could follow. Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. The war - the deadliest in Europe for 80 years - has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts. At the Alaskan meeting, Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. In a TV interview Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. Zelenskiy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities" such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as a bulwark against further Russian advances. Zelenskiy has also insisted on security guarantees, to deter Russia from invading again. For Putin, just sitting down with Trump represented a victory. He had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. Trump spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia. European leaders will join with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a key meeting with President Donald Trump after the US president's summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed she will travel to Washington with other European leaders for the gathering at the White House on Monday. Among those making the trip will be French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni along with the leaders of Finland and Sweden. The European leaders were also meeting with Zelenskiy on Sunday as part of the Coalition of the Willing. The show of support comes after Trump said Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaskan meeting, Trump told Zelenskiy the Russian president had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies had demanded. That was a change from his position before the summit, when he said would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on Truth Social. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. "We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing," he said on social media. "This complicates the situation. "If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater - peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades. "But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war." Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said he would meet Trump on Monday. That will evoke memories of a meeting in the White House Oval Office in February, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelenskiy a brutal public dressing-down. Trump said a three-way meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy could follow. Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. The war - the deadliest in Europe for 80 years - has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts. At the Alaskan meeting, Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. In a TV interview Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. Zelenskiy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities" such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as a bulwark against further Russian advances. Zelenskiy has also insisted on security guarantees, to deter Russia from invading again. For Putin, just sitting down with Trump represented a victory. He had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. Trump spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia. European leaders will join with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a key meeting with President Donald Trump after the US president's summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed she will travel to Washington with other European leaders for the gathering at the White House on Monday. Among those making the trip will be French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni along with the leaders of Finland and Sweden. The European leaders were also meeting with Zelenskiy on Sunday as part of the Coalition of the Willing. The show of support comes after Trump said Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaskan meeting, Trump told Zelenskiy the Russian president had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies had demanded. That was a change from his position before the summit, when he said would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on Truth Social. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. "We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing," he said on social media. "This complicates the situation. "If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater - peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades. "But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war." Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said he would meet Trump on Monday. That will evoke memories of a meeting in the White House Oval Office in February, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelenskiy a brutal public dressing-down. Trump said a three-way meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy could follow. Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. The war - the deadliest in Europe for 80 years - has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts. At the Alaskan meeting, Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. In a TV interview Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. Zelenskiy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities" such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as a bulwark against further Russian advances. Zelenskiy has also insisted on security guarantees, to deter Russia from invading again. For Putin, just sitting down with Trump represented a victory. He had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. Trump spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia.
Sky News AU
4 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Media critiques Trump rolling out red-carpet and jet show for Putin meeting in Alaska
Sky News host Paul Murray discusses the media criticising United States President Donald Trump's red-carpet rollout for Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'To the events that have involved the president of the United States and the president of Russia … when there was the meeting between the two presidents,' Mr Murray said. 'Can we all just understand … in terms of taste, this is the guy who likes gold in the bathroom, right … perhaps he thought meeting just in the tarmac in Alaska was not fancy enough.'
