Five war-separated Ukrainian and Russian children returned to families, says Melania Trump

In a Thursday briefing, First Lady Melania Trump reported that five children separated during the ongoing war in Europe have been safely returned to their families in Ukraine and Russia. She highlighted that caring for children should supersede political maneuvering and affirmed continued dialogue with both Moscow and Kyiv to facilitate further reunifications. This is the fifth instance of such returns since she established an "open channel" with President Vladimir Putin in October.

The statement omitted details on how many of the children were Ukrainian versus Russian. The United Nations has confirmed the forced removal of more than 1,200 children from Ukrainian regions, while Ukrainian officials claim the true number may be as high as 20,000. The UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine noted that the low return rate after four years suggests the removals were not solely for safety reasons.