Putin asked Witkoff to deliver a special message to Melania Trump

The Kremlin announced on October 21, 2026, that Vladimir Putin had asked US envoy Steve Witkoff, whom he met in St. Petersburg, to deliver a message to Melania Trump. Presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin wanted to thank her for her work on behalf of Ukrainian children and her role in seeking a resolution to the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky. Their contact dates back to August 2025, when Donald Trump handed Putin a handwritten letter from his wife about children affected by the war. Kyiv estimates that about 20,000 children have been deported or forcibly transferred to Russia or territories it controls; the White House says Melania Trump’s efforts have reunited 34 children with their families.