Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used his recent White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to deliver a handwritten message from his wife, First Lady Olena Zelenska, to Melania Trump. In a lighthearted gesture, Zelensky handed over the letter while telling Trump, “It’s not to you, it’s to your wife.”
The moment came during a highly watched Oval Office encounter, just days after Trump’s Alaska meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin ended without a ceasefire deal in the ongoing Ukraine war. The exchange drew attention not only for its symbolism but also for the unusual backchannel it highlighted between the two first ladies.
Earlier, Melania Trump had penned her own letter to Vladimir Putin, calling on him to protect children caught in the conflict. In her words, every child carries the same quiet hopes for “love, possibility, and safety from danger,” and she urged the Russian leader to restore to them “their melodic laughter.” The letter, widely circulated, positioned her as an unexpected voice in international appeals around the war.
Olena Zelenska’s message to Melania Trump, delivered by her husband, expressed gratitude for that humanitarian stance. By addressing her counterpart directly, Zelenska emphasized her appreciation for Melania’s efforts to spotlight the suffering of Ukraine’s youngest and most vulnerable.
The exchange also underscored the broader crisis facing Ukraine’s children. Rights groups and Ukrainian authorities estimate that nearly 20,000 minors have been forcibly removed from the country, a move widely condemned as an attempt to strip them of their identity and heritage. The Bring Kids Back UA initiative has pushed to return them, with international organizations including the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe labeling the abductions a grave violation of human rights.
For Kyiv, the letter served as both a diplomatic gesture and a reminder of the human cost of the war. By engaging Melania Trump, Zelenska tapped into a different channel of influence—an emotional appeal framed around families and children—that stood apart from the political negotiations between leaders.
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