Melania Trump said eight children who were separated from families as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine have been reunited with families, part of an "ongoing effort" following months of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin had no immediate comment to Trump's announcement, which she made in a televised statement on October 10 from the White House.
The issue of Ukrainian children, removed from Ukraine by Russian authorities, often without the consent or knowledge of family members or legal guardians, has been a highly charged issue since the start of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In her comments, Trump said three of the children had been separated from their parents due to the fighting on the front lines and taken to Russia.
The other five were separated from family members across borders because of the conflict, she said.
Among them was a young girl who has now been returned to Russia from Ukraine.
In her comments, she said a letter she had written to Putin was delivered by her husband, President Donald Trump, during his meeting with the Russian leader in Alaska in August.
"He responded in writing, signaling a willingness to engage with me directly and outlining details regarding the Ukrainian children residing in Russia," she told reporters.
SEE ALSO: The Russian Camp Where Abducted Ukrainian Children Reportedly Made Drones"Russia has demonstrated a willingness to disclose objective and detailed information reflective of the current situation," she added.
Melania Trump has taken an interest in the issue of thousands of children who have been removed from Ukraine -- in some cases, involuntarily -- by Russia since the launch of Moscow's all-out invasion in February 2022.
Western officials say in many cases, Russia has done little to identify the legal guardians of children removed from Ukraine, and pushed forward to have them adopted by Russian families.
Ukraine's government says at least 19,500 children are missing since 2022, while the researchers at Yale University estimate that the number could be up to 35,000.
The International Criminal Court has filed an arrest warrant against Putin, and the Kremlin's main children advocate, as part of the campaign, which has included military and government jets.
Russia denied wrongdoing and claimed it was evacuating Ukrainian children from conflict zones to give them protection from war.
Yale researchers have also charged that Russia has subjected the children to nationalist propaganda.
In their meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at the end of September, Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska thanked Melania Trump for her "support of Ukraine" and "particular attention to children who became victims of Russia's brutal war."