Melania Trump: Talks with Putin's team continue on freeing Ukrainian children

(Patria) - First Lady of the United States Melania Trump said she is still in contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin's team in an effort to secure the return of Ukrainian children from Russia.

"I am working on it and we are in the process," she told reporters at the White House. "I hope we will have success very soon."

She did not share details about the talks between her representatives and Putin's team, Reuters reports.

An East Wing spokesperson said communication continued after Melania Trump wrote a letter to Putin about abducted Ukrainian children, which her husband President Donald Trump delivered in August.

Fifteen children have been returned to Ukraine since the First Lady began her advocacy, including seven children in December.

Ukraine has accused Russia of abducting at least 19,000 children and taking them to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without the consent of their families or guardians since the start of the invasion in February 2022.

Russia has repeatedly denied abducting children, saying it acted to protect them from fighting. On Wednesday, Russian and Ukrainian officials said they had "productive" U.S.-led negotiations aimed at ending the four-year war, although Russia attacked Ukraine with hundreds of drones and a record number of ballistic missiles earlier this week.

Melania Trump, who has stayed out of the spotlight during her husband's second term, met with two freed Israeli-American hostages, Keith and Aviv Siegel, at the White House on Wednesday.