By Bo Erickson
WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) – U.S. first lady Melania Trump said on Wednesday she remains in contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s team in an effort to secure the return of more Ukrainian children from Russia.
“I’m working on it, and we are in the process,” she told reporters at the White House. “I hope we have success very soon.”
She did not share details about talks between her representatives and Putin’s team.
An East Wing spokesman said the lines of communication had continued after Melania Trump wrote a letter to Putin — hand-delivered by her husband, President Donald Trump, last August — about abducted Ukrainian children.
Fifteen children have been returned to Ukraine since the first lady started her advocacy, including seven children in December.
Ukraine has accused Russia of abducting at least 19,000 of its children and taking them to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without the consent of family or guardians since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Russia has repeatedly denied abducting Ukrainian children, saying it acted to keep them safe from the fighting.
On Wednesday, Russian and Ukrainian officials said they had “productive” talks in U.S.-led negotiations aimed at ending the four-year-old war, although Russia earlier this week attacked Ukraine with hundreds of drones and a record number of ballistic missiles.
Melania Trump, who has kept a low profile during her husband’s second term, met at the White House on Wednesday with two freed Israeli American hostages, Keith and Aviva Siegel.
(Reporting by Bo Erickson; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Rosalba O’Brien)
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