Extending first ladies’ tradition of advocacy, Melania Trump focuses on Ukrainian kids

Eight of the over 19,000 Ukrainian children abducted and forcibly removed from their home country by Russia since the start of Vladimir Putin’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine were recently returned, thanks, in part, to the efforts of Melania Trump. 

Outraged like many by the blatant exploitation of innocent children, Mrs. Trump penned a personal letter to Putin that was delivered during the Alaska Summit in August. A simple but unanticipated gesture, her letter and subsequent communication helped reunite the children with their families in Ukraine. However, thousands of Ukrainian kids are still missing — stolen from their families and their homeland in a systematic attempt by Putin to erase their Ukrainian identity. Let’s not forget that the International Criminal Court went so far as to issue an arrest warrant in 2023 for both Putin and his Children’s Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, for their horrific assault on Ukraine’s children. 

Like other first ladies before her, Mrs. Trump’s actions make a difference. The role of first lady follows no rulebook but does transcend history. Over more than two centuries, first ladies’ influence has expanded to include more responsibilities and more opportunities to lead, research from the George W. Bush Institute has shown.

Doing what is right isn’t always what’s easy —  and that’s especially true now as Putin callously attempts to manipulate the narrative.

But illustrations abound of the incredible and individualized leadership of first spouses in other consequential times and on other controversial issues. They range from small acts of empathy to flagship programs: 

• Barbara Bush’s historic embrace of a gay man and children living with HIV at the height of the stigma surrounding AIDS.  
• Betty Ford’s considerable activism on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment and her courageous decision to publicly share her breast cancer battle and later her addiction recovery.  
• Rosalynn Carter’s mobilization of desperately needed resources for Cambodian refugees in Thailand and her leadership on expanding access to mental health resources.  
• Pat Nixon’s extensive international travel (including Vietnam) and unprecedented diplomatic role as the “personal representative of the president” on visits to Africa and South America.  
• Laura Bush’s significant policy advocacy in support of women in Afghanistan and democracy and human rights in Burma, including extraordinary actions like three trips to Afghanistan, delivery of the Presidential Radio Address, and a press briefing from the White House Press Room.  
• Lou Hoover’s rebuff of racial bias and antiquated gender norms.  
• Eleanor Roosevelt’s leadership on protecting personal freedoms and human dignity, the drafting and ratification of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and the creation of Freedom House. 
• Lady Bird Johnson’s support of Civil Rights and gender equality.  

The list goes on and on. 

Each of these efforts pushed boundaries and improved lives, bridged divides, and strengthened America’s reputation in the world. These actions also surprised people and directly challenged expectations and opinions. They shaped the legacies of each woman and redefined the effectiveness of the Office of the First Lady.   

Mrs. Trump has the same opportunity, especially as Putin and his thugs continue to brutalize children, along with innocent men and women, in their illegal assault on Ukraine. 

Over and over again, kids (including infants) have faced unimaginable and targeted savagery: drone and missile strikes on kindergartens and classrooms; torture and sexual assault by Russian troops; and more than 80 attacks on maternity hospitals since 2022. These abuses — including the abduction of Ukrainian kids — are a critical part of Putin’s evil and perverse pursuit of power.  

Those kidnapped and shipped off to Russian-controlled territory, Russia itself, and Belarus face seclusion, reeducation, indoctrination, and militarization programs. Some children have had their names and birth certificates altered. Some have been fast-tracked for Russian citizenship. And some have been forced to join Russia’s campaign against their homeland.  

Many were specifically targeted because they are disabled or orphaned or their parents are in the military or because of their socioeconomic status. Almost a fifth of the 210 locations where Ukrainian children are being held outside of parental care have documented military training programs, according to Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab. 

So far, fewer than 1,800 kids — who never should have been taken in the first place – have been returned to Ukraine, according to Yale’s School of Medicine. The vast majority of abducted Ukrainian children remain in Russian control.  

Courageous Ukrainian parents and caregivers have risked their lives to bring their children home. Activists, policy makers, diplomats, and faith-based communities have also relentlessly lobbied for their return.  

More must be done to bring about these kids’ long-overdue reunification with their families, and Mrs. Trump is in a position to help. Sustained and elevated advocacy, renewing much-needed support for documentation and data collection efforts, and further diplomatic pressure can make a difference. 

Mrs. Trump’s letter and the subsequent release of the eight children were a positive first step. Her actions can change the future for many more kids and add to the ever-evolving legacy of America’s first spouses. 

Natalie Gonnella-Platts is director of global policy at the George W. Bush Institute.