President Putin,
During a high-stakes summit in Alaska, U.S. President Donald Trump handed Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter written by First Lady Melania Trump, urging him to choose peace, especially for the sake of children.
The letter, described by Trump as “deeply personal,” was presented to Putin in front of both countries’ delegations. According to Fox News, Putin read the message immediately after receiving it from the U.S. president.
“In today’s world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them,” Melania wrote.
“Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter.”
Without directly referencing Ukraine, the first lady appealed to Putin’s humanity, calling on him to protect the innocence of children.
“In doing so, you will do more than serve Russia, you serve humanity itself,” she added.
“Such a bold idea transcends all human division. You, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen. It is time.”
The letter was later reposted by the first lady’s office via a Fox News article shared on X (formerly Twitter), a day after the summit ended without a formal breakthrough.
Earlier in his second term, President Trump had positioned himself as a dealmaker eager to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
He had repeatedly promised during his campaign to resolve the conflict within 24 hours of taking office.
However, while Trump initially blamed Ukraine for stalled negotiations, he has more recently expressed frustration with Moscow’s continued military offensives.
Ahead of the Alaska summit, he warned Russia of “severe consequences” if it refused to agree to a ceasefire.
But following his one-on-one meeting with Putin, Trump appeared to soften his stance, saying:
“The best way to end this war is to go directly to a peace agreement.”
Putin on his part, has long insisted on negotiating a “final peace deal,” a position that Kyiv and several Western allies view as a strategy to consolidate Russia’s territorial gains.
Trump also acknowledged that his wife’s perspective has influenced his thinking.
“I go home and tell the first lady, ‘You know, I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation,’” Trump recounted in a recent interview.
“And she said, ‘Oh really? Another city was just hit.’”
