Trump gives Putin letter from Melania
During a high-stakes summit in Anchorage, Alaska, US President Donald Trump hand-delivered a personal letter from First Lady Melania Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Read more: Trump drops Ukraine ceasefire demand after Putin summit
The letter, which was read by Putin in front of both American and Russian delegations, was an unprecedented act of "soft diplomacy".
The text of the letter, which was first obtained by Fox News, focused on a broad, humanitarian appeal for peace and the protection of children.
It began, "Dear President Putin, Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation's rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger".
"As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation's hope. As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few".
She further implored Putin to consider that "each generation's descendants begin their lives with a purity—an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology".
Melania wrote that some children in the world are "forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them—a silent defiance against the forces that can potentially claim their future".
She urged the Russian President to act, stating, "Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter".
The letter concluded: "Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen today. It is time".
However, a central contradiction emerged between the letter's vague language and the official narrative from the Trump administration.
According to Trump administration officials, the letter specifically "mentioned the abductions of children" following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
This issue is the basis for a war crimes arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Putin.
In contrast, the actual text of the letter, as made public, makes no specific reference to the abductions or to Ukraine.
The meeting itself, which lasted nearly three hours, did not produce a formal ceasefire or peace agreement, despite Trump calling the talks “extremely productive”.
Reactions to the letter were varied. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude, calling it a "true act of humanism".
Meanwhile, US lawmakers have continued to demand the return of abducted children as a precondition for any peace deal.
