First lady Melania Trump made a rare diplomatic gesture by authoring a personal letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to consider the plight of children amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The letter was hand-delivered by President Donald Trump during his meeting with Putin on Friday in Alaska. Although the letter did not explicitly mention Ukraine, which Russia invaded in 2022, it appealed to Putin's conscience through the lens of childhood innocence. "There is an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology," the first lady wrote on official White House stationery. "You have the power to singlehandedly restore the melodic laughter of children," she continued, calling on Putin to take steps to protect children caught in conflict. "In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone — you serve humanity itself." The letter was first obtained by Fox News Digital and later circulated on social media by Trump administration allies, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Melania Trump added that such action could be achieved "with the stroke of a pen." Putin's government has faced global condemnation for forcibly relocating Ukrainian children into Russian territory since the onset of the war. The Associated Press previously documented these transfers in 2022, prompting the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of war crimes and personal responsibility for the abductions. The White House did not comment on whether Putin formally responded to the first lady's message, but Russian state media described the letter as "symbolic and emotional." The letter marks Melania Trump's most prominent public role to date in the administration's foreign policy arena, and comes as the U.S. and European leaders intensify diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. — Agencies
