It was billed as a triumph of diplomacy for two of the world’s great ‘silverbacks’ as they sought to bring an end to the fighting in Ukraine.

When President Donald Trump faced Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, the most significant moment of the meeting wasn’t what unfolded publicly.

And it was the work not of an 800lb political gorilla, but a quietly spoken woman who had other things to do that day.

Away from the cameras, as the presidents entered a private room at a U.S. military base, Trump handed over a letter from his wife Melania, who was thousands of miles away in New York.

‘While the public and media were focused on their every move,’ a source familiar with Trump’s inner circle revealed, ‘the real diplomatic gesture happened in private, involving someone not present — the First Lady.’

Putin opened the letter and read it on the spot, even before the discussions commenced. His reaction was clearly one of admiration, marking the moment as a diplomatic success.

The letter, shared by Trump on his Truth Social page recently, was an emotional appeal to the Russian leader, focusing on the plight of children, without directly referencing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Melania’s message articulated: ‘Every new generation begins life with innocence and purity that transcends borders, politics, and beliefs, a notion I’m certain you’ll appreciate, Mr. Putin.’

It was billed as a triumph of diplomacy for two of the world’s great ‘silverbacks’ as Donald Trump (right) and Vladimir Putin (left) sought to bring an end to the fighting in Ukraine

A telling moment between Trump (left) and Putin came when the US President handed the Russian leader a letter written by his wife, Melania (right)

The letter by Melania (above) went straight for the heartstrings of the Russian president, urging him to think of children’s suffering

‘Yet in today’s world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them… Mr Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter.’

For many in Washington, the emergence of former-model Melania, 55, who was born in Slovenia – then part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia – as a serious player on the international political scene has come as a surprise, not to say a shock.

During her husband’s first term at the White House, after all, she was openly mocked as being out-of-touch and politically inept. But while some have accused her of being a ‘part-time’ First Lady since Trump’s second term began in January, insiders say that is well wide of the mark.

Not only is Melania relishing her role, she is actively influencing her husband, pushing him, for example, to end the war in Ukraine. In part, this is a bid to cement the Trump legacy – a key preoccupation for the First Lady.

As if to make the point, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky hand-delivered a letter written by his own wife Olena – addressed to Melania – during his visit to the White House just a few days ago. 

The source said: ‘Olena’s letter hasn’t been made public but it thanked Melania for her support and for focusing on the plight of the children. Melania’s letter was a masterclass in shifting the conversation. It flattered Putin without going too far. People are taking her seriously. She’s the one who matters when it comes to dealing with her husband. She has his ear.’

Socialite Toni Holt Kramer has known Melania since 2011. A member of the club at Mar-a-Lago in Florida where Melania spends much time, Mrs Holt Kramer heads The Trumpettes, an all-female fundraising group.

‘People have always underestimated Melania because she’s the opposite of her husband,’ she said. ‘He loves to be in the public eye, loves being the centre of attention. Melania isn’t shy but she’s a private person.

During her husband’s first term at the White House, Melania (right) was openly mocked as being out-of-touch and politically inept

While some have accused Melania (right) of being a ‘part-time’ First Lady since Trump’s second term began in January, insiders say that is well wide of the mark

‘During their first term she undoubtedly had some struggles. Barron [their son] was a young boy, she wasn’t surrounded by good people and she was picked on relentlessly by her husband’s political rivals.

‘The Melania you meet today is strong, confident, very much her own woman. She knows what she wants and, for sure, she is the person who the President listens to the most. He trusts her implicitly. She is enjoying it much more this time around.’

So, what has changed? For starters, says Mrs Holt Kramer, Barron is now 19 and off at university, ‘so she doesn’t have to worry about him so much’.

Then there was the assassination attempt when a bullet grazed Trump’s ear as he campaigned in Pennsylvania in July last year. Mrs Holt Kramer said: ‘Everything changed in that moment, how could it not? The president has become very religious. He believes he was saved for a reason. It profoundly affected Melania.’

Friends and those who work alongside the Trumps say they are both now ‘utterly focused’ on their legacy. ‘This is his second and final term in the White House and there is a sense of urgency,’ a close political ally told the Daily Mail last night.

‘Melania is in the driving seat. She wants her husband to go down in the history books as a peacemaker, a deal-broker, a man who not only saved America but saved the world too. She has been urging him to make peace deals, with Russia/Ukraine being the ‘big one’. She is far more involved than people know.’

Even steadfast political foes like Hillary Clinton say Mr Trump should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize if he successfully negotiates a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine.

Mrs Holt Kramer said Melania has no aspirations to outshine her husband, yet some suggest that were he to receive the Nobel Prize – an oft-stated ambition – it should be awarded jointly to her.

Melania (left) reportedly spends less time worrying about her son Barron (right) as he is now at university

The assassination attempt when a bullet grazed Trump’s ear (above) as he campaigned in Pennsylvania in July last year is said to have ‘profoundly affected Melania’

Political foes like Hillary Clinton (above) say Mr Trump should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize if he successfully negotiates a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine – with some suggesting it should be awarded jointly to Melania

‘That’s not her style at all,’ responds the friend. ‘The First Lady has never made a secret of the fact that she considers being a wife and mother her greatest accomplishment.

‘Make no mistake about it, she is very much an equal partner.’

Melania influenced her husband’s volte-face on the Israeli-Palestine conflict, for example, with Trump acknowledging ‘real starvation’ in Gaza for the first time last month.

As Trump said at the time, ‘Melania thinks it is terrible. She sees the same pictures that you see and we all see. Everybody, unless they are pretty cold-hearted or worse than that, nuts, thinks there’s nothing you can say other than it’s terrible when you see the kids.’

In her only interview since returning to the White House, the First Lady told Trump-friendly Fox News: ‘Maybe some people, they see me as just the wife of the President but I’m standing on my own two feet, independent. I have my own thoughts. I have my own ‘yes’ and ‘no’.

‘I give him my advice and sometimes he listens and sometimes he doesn’t and that’s OK.’

But it’s when it comes to Putin – who Trump repeatedly called ‘a great guy’ during his campaign – that Melania has brought the greatest influence to bear.

When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Melania took to social media platform X to send her prayers to the people of Ukraine. A source said: ‘Melania grew up in a communist-run country and came to the West in her 20s. She is careful not to say publicly which side she’s on but privately it’s clear where her loyalties lie.’

Melania (right) influenced her husband’s volte-face on the Israeli-Palestine conflict, for example, with Trump acknowledging ‘real starvation’ in Gaza for the first time last month

When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Melania (above) took to social media platform X to send her prayers to the people of Ukraine

Trump, who stunned the world by shouting down Zelensky during a White House visit in February this year, recently admitted he no longer sees the Ukrainian leader as the one blocking a path to peace. 

At a meeting with the Nato secretary general Mark Rutte on July 15 he said: ‘I’d get home, I’d say: ‘I had the most wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we’re finished.’ And then I’ll turn on the television or she’ll say to me one time: ‘Wow, that’s strange because they just bombed a nursing home.’

‘Melania is very smart. She’s very neutral. She’d like to see people stop dying.’

Critics have complained Melania has only been photographed a handful of times at the White House, preferring to spend her time in her 3,500 square-foot private villa at Mar-a-Lago or her gilt-lined penthouse flat inside Trump Tower on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.

The source close to Trump said: ‘Just because you don’t see her, don’t assume she’s not there. He’s on the phone to her all day long.’

For now, Melania is focused on carefully building her husband’s legacy but also her own – as the ‘quiet power’.

Her official portrait set the tone for her second term as First Lady – a ‘power shot’, which showed her leaning over a boardroom table wearing a sharp Dolce & Gabbana trouser suit with the Washington Monument gleaming behind her.

Melania has just finished filming a $40 million (£30 milion)documentary for Amazon Prime’s streaming service with Hollywood director Brett Ratner (responsible for the Rush Hour franchise starring Jackie Chan). It is scheduled for release later this year.

Trump, who stunned the world by shouting down Zelensky during a White House visit in February this year (as seen above) recently admitted he no longer sees the Ukrainian leader as the one blocking a path to peace

For now, Melania (right) is focused on carefully building her husband’s legacy but also her own – as the ‘quiet power’

A source involved with the project said: ‘It’s a look inside Melania’s world. People will be surprised. It’s not all ladies’ luncheons and visits to [her hairdresser] Frederic Fekkai.’

She is currently finalising her wardrobe for the Trumps’ State Visit to Britain next month when they will meet the King and Queen at Windsor Castle.

Plans are in place for the couple to meet Prince William and, possibly, the Princess of Wales although that has yet to be confirmed.

The Trump source said: ‘This is an unprecedented second State Visit for a US President. The President met your late Queen Elizabeth during his first State Visit [in 2019] and is a huge fan of the Royal Family. He is very much looking forward to meeting King Charles and Queen Camilla.’

A friend of Melania’s said she is ‘acutely aware’ of an embarrassing moment during the 2019 State Visit when Trump barged in front of the late Queen as they inspected a guard of honour.

Appearances matter to Melania, and that’s why ‘she’s been working on her wardrobe choices for months,’ said her friend. ‘This time, nothing will go wrong. Underestimate her at your peril.’