Public reporting indicates the First Lady used diplomatic back‑channels and direct contact with Russian and Ukrainian officials. Steps described by the White House and multiple news outlets include: a hand‑delivered letter to President Putin, an “open channel” of communication, a designated representative who held back‑channel calls/meetings with Putin’s team, and U.S. officials receiving detailed reports (photographs, identities) before U.S. confirmation; the White House also cited U.S. humanitarian support to the initiative. The administration has not published operational or logistical details (e.g., transport or on‑the‑ground verification procedures).
Neither the White House statement nor major news reports name specific U.S. agencies involved; press coverage notes only that the “U.S. government” confirmed details but says Mrs. Trump did not share operational specifics. Specific agency involvement has not been publicly disclosed.
There is no public evidence in the White House statement or major reporting that international organizations (ICRC, UNICEF, UNHCR, etc.) were formally credited with verifying identities, consent or handling transport. Coverage refers to bilateral reports from Russia/Ukraine and U.S. confirmation of details (photographs, identities) but does not report ICRC/UN agency involvement.
Public reporting ties the reunification effort to three separate events: Oct. 10, 2025 (reporting of eight children reunited), Dec. 4, 2025 (seven more children), and the Feb. 12, 2026 White House announcement describing a third reunification. Reuters reported 15 children had been returned by early February (the Oct. and Dec. cases together); the Feb. 12 release did not give a number for that specific operation.
The White House and news reports do not describe formal safeguards or detailed verification procedures. Reporting says Mrs. Trump received detailed reports (identities, photographs) and that the U.S. government "confirmed the facts," but public sources do not disclose how consent, voluntariness or child‑welfare assessments were verified.
Several layers of international law and practice are relevant: international humanitarian law (IHL) — e.g., the Fourth Geneva Convention and Additional Protocols — prohibits forcible transfers of protected persons; international human‑rights law and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) require that a child’s best interests and family unity guide decisions; and international criminal law (Rome Statute/ICC) criminalizes unlawful deportation/forcible transfer of children as a war crime (the ICC has issued warrants tied to these allegations). Practically, repatriation/reunification is implemented through state‑to‑state diplomatic agreements, consular procedures and child‑protection frameworks; international organizations (ICRC, UNICEF, UNHCR) typically assist with tracing, verification and protection when permitted. Domestic nationality and family‑law rules of Ukraine and Russia also affect individual cases.