Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hand-delivered a letter from his own wife for Melania Trump and commended the American first lady her advocacy for children amid Russia's war with Ukraine.
The letter came a day after it was revealed that Melania Trump penned a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin that spoke generally about the need to protect children, and Donald Trump hand-delivered it to the Russian leader during their Aug. 15 meeting. The letter does not specifically mention Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government estimates that nearly 20,000 children were unlawfully deported or transferred from Ukraine and alleges that Russia uses tactics such as "taking children from orphanages, killing parents, splitting families during filtration processes, creating unbearable living conditions in occupied areas, and brazenly kidnapping children from their homes and schools."
Zelenskyy in DC: Updates on White House showdown
"Many thanks to your wife, the first lady of the United States," Zelenskyy told President Trump in the Oval Office on Monday, Aug. 18. He then handed Trump a white envelope that he said contained a letter from his wife, Olena Zelenska.
