First lady Melania Trump said eight Ukrainian children have been reunited with their families after continuous talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This comes after she wrote a letter to Mr. Putin in August concerning the plight of children in Ukraine and Russia shattered by the war. President Trump hand-delivered the letter to Mr. Putin while the two met in Alaska.

Mrs. Trump said at the White House on Friday that “much has unfolded” since Mr. Putin received her letter.

“He responded in writing, signaling a willingness to engage with me directly and outlining details regarding the Ukrainian children residing in Russia, and since then, President Putin and I have had an open channel of communication regarding the welfare of these children,” she said.

She said both sides participated in “several back-channel meetings and calls, all in good faith.”

She added, “We have agreed to cooperate with each other for the benefit of all people involved in this war. My representative has been working directly with President Putin’s team to ensure the safe reunification of children with their families between Russia and Ukraine.”

There have been over 19,000 reports of unlawful deportations and forced transfers of Ukrainian children, according to Bring Kids Back UA, a Ukrainian humanitarian program created in 2023.

Russia has said the children were taken for humanitarian reasons.

A September report from the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab found that Ukrainian children have been taken to over 200 facilities across Russia where some have been subjected to reeducation and militarization.

Mrs. Trump said Russia has “demonstrated a willingness to disclose objective and detailed information reflective for the current situation” and that biographies and photos, among other information, have been provided of the children reunited with their families.

She said the U.S. government confirmed that the information in the children’s documents was accurate.

“This is an important initiative for me,” she said. “It is built on shared purpose and lasting impact. My ongoing mission is twofold — to prioritize, to optimize a transparent free flow exchange of health-related information surrounding all children who have fell victim to this war and to facilitate the regular reunification of children with their families until each individual returns home.”

The first lady said Russia has also agreed to rejoin the individuals who have turned 18 during their time away from Ukraine and that the reunification process is an ongoing effort.

Children have always been at the forefront of the first lady’s initiatives during her husband’s first and second terms.

Mrs. Trump, who is Slovenian-born, said she has actively spoken about the Russia-Ukraine war with Mr. Trump.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.