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OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
2:40 PM – Thursday, February 12, 2026
In a significant humanitarian breakthrough, First Lady Melania Trump successfully brokered the return of six more children to their families on Thursday. This is the third successful reunification mission spearheaded by the first lady since she began her “back-channel” diplomatic initiative last year.
The White House confirmed that the group includes five children who were returned to their families in Ukraine and one child who was reunited with family in Russia.
“Today marks the third reunification since I have been working with both nations,” Melania announced on X on Thursday. “I am confident that even greater progress lies ahead.”
In a Thursday statement on the White House website, coming from the Office of the First Lady, Melania was quoted as saying, “I appreciate that Russia and Ukraine are dedicated to bringing back the children who have been displaced because of the circumstances surrounding this conflict. Although all parties are cooperating and our communications remain robust, I urge Russia and Ukraine to intensify their efforts to ensure the safe return of every child to their families and guardians.”
Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian presidential envoy, confirmed the reunification of the six children in a post on X. His announcement featured a joint statement from Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights, acknowledging the successful transfer.
“Today, five children—four boys and one girl, aged 4 to 15—are being reunited with their families in Ukraine, and one child is returning to Russia,” Lvova-Belova reported.
“I thank the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump, for her unwavering commitment and engagement in efforts to reunite children with their families,” said the Russian commissioner. “Her coordination helped accelerate these reunifications and lays the groundwork for a faster process going forward.”
In October, during the first successful reunification, Melania helped to safely return eight Ukrainian children. This was followed by seven more children in December.
As of Thursday at 2:30 p.m. PT, Ukraine has not issued any comparable statement of gratitude directed at the first lady for Thursday’s effort. Ukrainian media outlets, including Ukrainska Pravda, acknowledged her role in the return of the children, but reports were devoid of any formal gratitude or recognition from President Volodymyr Zelensky or his administration.
Last August, Mrs. Trump issued a personal appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin via a heartfelt letter, urging him to prioritize the welfare of children in both nations. She later confirmed that President Putin had responded, enabling her team to establish a direct “open channel of communication” to coordinate the protection of displaced minors.
Beyond the return of young children, her initiative has also expanded to assist young adults who were still minors at the outbreak of the conflict in 2022.
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