Abducted Ukrainian children: Insider: Trump handed Melania's letter to Putin

The allegations are serious: Tens of thousands of children are alleged to have been kidnapped from Ukraine to Russia, where they are put up for adoption. The First Lady of the United States is now apparently advocating for the children at the highest level.

US President Donald Trump's wife, Melania Trump, addressed the plight of children in Ukraine and Russia in a personal letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to insiders. Two White House insiders told Reuters that the letter allegedly addressed the abductions of Ukrainian children as a result of the war in Ukraine. They declined to provide further details. President Trump personally delivered the letter to Putin during the summit in Alaska, they added.

Ukraine has described the transport of tens of thousands of children to Russia or Russian-occupied territories without the consent of their families or guardians as a war crime. The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office stated that Russia has inflicted suffering and violated the rights of millions of Ukrainian children since the war against Ukraine began in 2022.

The UN Human Rights Office also denounces the fact that Ukrainian children in the occupied territories are being exposed to Russian war propaganda. Military-patriotic training is taking place in schools and youth groups. This violates the occupying power's duty to respect the education system and culture of its population.

The NGO "Save Ukraine" recently reported on an online catalog in which Russian occupation authorities in eastern Ukraine were offering abducted Ukrainian children for adoption. The website of the occupying forces' "Ministry of Education" in the Luhansk region currently lists 294 children – complete with photos, ages, and character descriptions.

In early 2023, the Ukrainian human rights commissioner accused Russians of kidnapping Ukrainian children and selling them for sexual abuse . Dmytro Lubinets explained that there were corresponding messages on online networks. These revealed "that Russians are kidnapping Ukrainian children and making sex videos with them." For example, 250,000 rubles (more than €3,200) were offered for a boy "who is about to start school."

Proceedings against Russia

According to a report in the New York Times, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague had already opened proceedings against Russian representatives for alleged crimes in Ukraine in March 2023. As the newspaper reported, the case concerns allegations of the abduction of Ukrainian children.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan had previously stated after a visit to Ukraine that his office was investigating allegations of child abductions in the country with particular priority. The ICC, based in The Hague, has been prosecuting particularly serious offenses such as war crimes and crimes against humanity since 2002. Neither Russia nor Ukraine are states parties to the ICC.

However, because Russia does not recognize the ICC, the court cannot take action against Moscow for the crime of aggression. The government in Kyiv is therefore pushing for a special international tribunal.