Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with President Donald Trump at the White House days after Trump and Putin’s meeting in Alaska. Along with other leaders, they discussed the infamous and longstanding war with Russia and other political developments. Melania Trump sent a letter to Vladimir Putin, whom Donald Trump reportedly hand-delivered on Saturday.
The letter reportedly has Melania requesting that Putin spare the innocent children from losing their lives, being displaced, or being abducted. It caused quite a stir as in the letter, she wrote, “Some children 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 Putin to “restore their melodic laughter.”
I want to thank @FLOTUS Melania Trump for her attention to one of the most painful and difficult issues of this war – the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia. We deeply appreciate her compassion and her letter to Putin.
This issue lies at the heart of the war’s… https://t.co/DHiGcUGydO
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 19, 2025
As per The Irish Star, Zelensky personally responded to the letter Melania sent to Putin after her gesture deeply touched him, despite her absence. He expressed gratitude for Melania’s advocacy and said, “She sent a letter to President Putin about our children, the abducted children, and my wife, the First Lady of Ukraine, has sent a letter in response.
“She gave it not to you, but to your wife,” Zelensky told Trump with a smile. Trump responded playfully, “I want it,” prompting laughter in the room. Following the meeting, Zelensky wrote on social media to thank Melania: “Your voice matters. It gives strength and sheds light on the injustice of over 20,000 Ukrainian children taken by Russia. We continue our work to bring them and all our prisoners of war and civilians back home.”
President Zelenskyy gives President Trump a letter for @FLOTUS, written by the First Lady of Ukraine
“I want it” @realDonaldTrump 🤣 pic.twitter.com/TbjlfxLXi9
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) August 18, 2025
Melania Trump is known for advocating for causes related to children. In May 2025, she attended the signing of the “Take It Down Act,” legislation aimed at protecting children from online exploitation. She has a deep attachment to kids and is a great mother to her 19-year-old son, Barron, a New York University student.
🚨BEAUTIFUL: President Trump just revealed First Lady Melania’s deep love for children was behind her peace letter.
I’ve met many prominent people, but no family has a love as strong for our country as the Trump family.
God bless them. Gifts from God!
pic.twitter.com/0Y5yEER3WI
— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) August 18, 2025
While not many details from the summit have been disclosed, The Guardian reported that Trump announced plans to facilitate a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky. Even German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed Putin’s willingness to meet within two weeks. Still, other leaders at the summit were sceptical, with Finland’s president cautioning that Putin “rarely can be trusted.”
In addition, Trump dismissed an immediate ceasefire as a priority and indicated that the U.S. is ready to coordinate efforts to provide long-term security assurances to Ukraine. Furthermore, Trump took pride in and called himself the global peacemaker, claiming he had ended six international conflicts during his presidency.
His ambition for a Nobel Peace Prize was a motivating factor behind the summit, as he continued to take credit for tirelessly working towards improving the Russia-Ukraine relationship and trying to end the war. Lastly, reports indicate that Zelenskyy agreed to a $90 billion weapons purchase from the U.S., primarily focused on aircraft and air defence systems.
It surely looks like the meeting ended positively, as Donald Trump described it as “extremely productive.” He added, “There were many points we agreed on — most of them,” Trump said. “A couple of big ones remain, but we’ve made some headway. There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
