Trump says he discussed missing children with EU chief

The Hill

a day ago

President Trump said late Monday he is in discussion with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, over the issue of missing children — a key concern for Ukrainians after three-and-a-half years of war against Russia.
'Ursula von der Leyen, the distinguished and Highly Respected President of the European Commission, and I have been discussing the massive Worldwide problem of missing children,' Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
'This is, likewise, a big subject with my wife, Melania,' Trump added. 'It is a subject at the top of all lists, and the World will work together to solve it, hopefully bringing them home to their families!'
Trump did not specify whether the discussion centered on the more than 19,000 Ukrainian children who are reported to have been abducted from their homes since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, 2022 and forced to acclimate to Russian society.
But the U.S. president noted that the issue is important to first lady Melania Trump, who recently wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin raising concerns about the plight of Ukrainian children.
'Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation's rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger,' the first lady wrote in the letter, which President Trump delivered to Putin ahead of their high-stakes summit in Alaska on Friday.
'A simple yet profound concept, Mr. Putin, as I am sure you agree, is that each generation's descendants begin their lives with a purity – an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology,' the first lady wrote. 'Yet in today's world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them – a silent defiance against the forces that can potentially claim their future.'
'Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter,' the first lady added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — who was in Washington, D.C. for a high-stakes summit with President Trump and other European leaders on Monday— responded to Trump's Truth Social post by thanking the first lady 'for her attention to one of the most painful and difficult issues of this war – the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia.'
'We deeply appreciate her compassion and her letter to Putin,' Zelensky said in a post on the social platform X. 'This issue lies at the heart of the war's humanitarian tragedy – our children, broken families, the pain of separation.'
Zelensky said he gave Trump 'a letter of gratitude' on Monday to pass along to Melania Trump that the Ukrainian first lady, Olena Zelenska, wrote in response to her counterpart's plea to Putin.
'Her voice matters, and her care gives strength to this cause,' Zelensky said about Melania Trump. 'We are working tirelessly to bring every child home. The same applies for our prisoners of war and civilians held in Russia for years, some since 2014, in very bad conditions.'
'Thousands of people still need to be freed – and this is a part of making peace. We will work to negotiate all-for-all prisoners of war exchange, and we are grateful to have strong friends who help,' he added, tagging the president of the European Commission's X account.