Russian President Putin has asked a U.S. envoy to carry a personal message of praise to first lady Melania Trump, commending her humanitarian work involving Ukrainian children. The gesture surfaced during a face-to-face meeting in St. Petersburg between Putin and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy.
Vladimir Putin praised Melania Trump’s work involving Ukrainian children
Putin told Witkoff he wanted his “gratitude” passed along to Melania for her efforts to reunite Ukrainian children with their families. He also credited Donald Trump’s wife with leading mediations aimed at “resolving” the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied city in Ukraine. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov briefed reporters on the exchange.
The Russian president’s praise for the first lady lands at a delicate diplomatic moment. Days earlier, her top aide Marc Beckman claimed on Scott Jennings’ podcast that Melania Trump holds a “direct line” to Russian leadership. Beckman stated that she had facilitated the return of 34 children to their families through diplomatic mediation. “I wonder if anybody out there is going to formally recognize this work with some sort of an award or something because it really is incredible,” Beckman said during the interview.
Putin’s message also follows a string of developments favoring Moscow. Trump last week struck a deal with the Russian President to lift congressionally approved sanctions on Russian oil companies. His administration also allowed the country to export diesel to the U.S. in a bid to lower fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces faced sustained restrictions on their use of Starshield, the military-grade version of Elon Musk’s Starlink network that underpins Ukraine’s defenses.
Ukrainian authorities estimate that around 20,000 children have been forcibly transferred to Russia or Russian-controlled territories since the invasion began. As reported by The Daily Beast, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry previously found that these state-sponsored deportations constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Significant questions remain regarding the exact extent of Melania Trump’s involvement in Oleshky, where critical shortages of food and medical supplies have placed civilians in acute peril. While Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called for localized ceasefires to carry out civilian evacuations from the occupied territory, Moscow has made no formal commitments to guarantee safe passage.
