(The Hill) — First Lady Melania Trump composed a letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing her worries about the children taken during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Every child harbors quiet dreams within their hearts, regardless of whether they are born in a simple rural area or the heart of a bustling city. They yearn for love, opportunity, and safety from harm,” Melania Trump wrote in her letter, dated Aug. 15, to the Russian president.

“As parents, our obligation is to cultivate hope in the next generation. As leaders, our duty to protect children extends beyond the comforts of the privileged,” the first lady stated in the brief letter. “Without a doubt, we must work towards creating a world full of dignity for everyone — allowing every individual to awaken to peace and ensuring the future is secure.”

President Trump handed the letter to Putin before their significant meeting in Alaska, a White House representative shared with The Hill’s affiliate NewsNation on Saturday. Melania Trump was absent from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, where U.S. and Russian officials convened for nearly three hours.

Since the conflict began in late February 2022, Russia has seized numerous Ukrainian children, relocating them to Russia, attempting to grant them Russian citizenship, and enrolling them in Russian schools.

In March, the United Nations criticized Russia for the hardships endured by Ukrainian children due to the ongoing war, lasting about three and a half years. Russia has previously defended its actions, claiming to protect children from war-torn regions.

“A simple yet profound concept, Mr. Putin, as I am sure you agree, is that each generation’s descendants begin their lives with a purity – an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology,” the first lady wrote in the letter. 

“Yet in today’s world, 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,” Melania Trump said. “Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter.” 

More than 19,000 children were deported from Ukraine to Russia, adding that the actual number could be far higher, according to a Ukrainian government tracker.

The first lady said that in “protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone-you serve humanity itself. 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,” she added. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Tuesday, ahead of the Trump-Putin summit, that Moscow has been stonewalling talks on the return of Ukrainian children. 

Ukraine’s leader said that while occasional transfers have taken place, with the assistance of other nations, Kyiv has not been able to strike a wide-ranging agreement with Russia on the matter. 

“That is why we wanted to get certain matters settled in this trilateral track: ceasefire, an all-for-all exchange, and the return of children,” Zelensky said. “This is something everyone benefits from: President Trump benefits, the Russians lose nothing, the Ukrainians lose nothing. It’s a fair compromise.”