Trump reveals if Melania and Putin get along despite 'disappointing' Ukraine-Russia war

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump revealed on Sunday, September 7, while talking to reporters, that first lady Melania Trump and he are "disappointed" at the Ukraine war continuing.

The POTUS added that Melania feels "very strongly" about children suffering in Ukraine but doesn’t bear any ill will toward the architect of the attacks.

Ending Russia-Ukraine war was one of Trump's Day One priorities

Donald Trump told reporters, "Both of us are disappointed at this ridiculous war continuing," speaking on behalf of the first lady.

The POTUS had named ending the Russia-Ukraine war as one of his Day One priorities. However, almost eight months later, the conflict continues with no viable peace plan on the table.

In August, during a meeting in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the POTUS hand-delivered a "peace letter" from Melania asking Putin to "protect the innocence" of children.

Melania wrote in the letter, "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. Mr Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter."

She appeared to allude to Ukraine but never explicitly mentioned the war.

Moreover, in the lead-up to the summit, the first lady had expressed frustration with Putin’s bombing campaigns, which had killed more than 13,800 civilians as of July, including about 725 children, according to the UN.

The White House added that Trump was also concerned about the fate of more than 20,000 kidnapped Ukrainian children going into the August 16 talks.

Putin continued attacking civilians even after the meeting

Following the meeting, Vladimir Putin continued to attack civilians, leading a journalist to ask Donald Trump if Melania Trump had said anything about Putin since the Alaska summit.

The POTUS said, "No, the first lady actually got along great with Putin, as I did."

Interestingly, it wasn’t completely clear what Trump meant, since Melania didn’t travel to Alaska with her husband. However, in the summer of 2017, the first lady was seated next to Putin at a G20 dinner in Hamburg, Germany, and met him again a year later at a trilateral diplomacy meeting in Finland. 

The last time they were photographed together was in November 2018, when world leaders and their spouses attended commemoration ceremonies in Paris.

Trump vowed to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office, but soon after, Putin blew through more than half a dozen Trump-imposed "deadlines" for a ceasefire or peace deal.

Trump added, "But you know we’re disappointed—both of us are disappointed that this ridiculous war continues."

A reporter asked him, "Are you proud to see her sending the letter?" and he answered, "Yes, she is, and she’s felt very strongly about the children, yeah, feels very badly about it."