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...Ukraine’s first lady traveled to New York with a pressing mission to raise awareness among the international community about the thousands of children allegedly abducted by Russia since the war began in 2022. She was expected to make a personal appeal to America’s first lady, who has made the well-being of children a key part of her platform. At an earlier event in New York on Tuesday, Zelenska warned that at the current rate, it would take 50 years to return all of the Ukrainian children who have been taken to Russia. “These children cannot await a lifetime,” she said.
Last month, Melania Trump penned a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, obliquely referencing the “darkness” around children impacted by war, telling the Russian leader he has the power to “singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter.” She did not specifically name Ukraine, nor has she publicly stated a position on the war. The president delivered his wife’s letter to Putin during their August 15 meeting in Alaska. On Tuesday afternoon, with Zelenska in the audience of VIP spouses, Melania Trump unveiled her “Fostering the Future Together” initiative (which is not related to her “Fostering the Future” initiative on opportunities for foster children). Its mission is vague, promising an effort to “(enhance) the well-being of children worldwide through the promotion of education, innovation, and technology,” according to her office, and will include private-sector collaboration on AI, robotics and blockchain. Beckman, on Fox News, described it as a “think tank” with branding that could be translated to other countries. Trump called on her counterparts to “lead this movement in your region of the world,” to “safeguard healthy environments for our children” and to “work with me to empower children to achieve new heights across our planet.”
Zelenska was expected to meet with Trump following Tuesday’s event, an effort to use the US first lady’s enormous public platform to shine a light on Russian atrocities impacting her most vulnerable citizens: children. Trump immediately departed the room after her brief remarks without greeting her counterparts as the reception continued, and Zelenska was spotted standing quietly near an elevator several minutes later while a string rendition of pop star Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” played over speakers. An adviser to Trump downplayed any significance or change to US policy, describing the meeting as an informal hello to be polite. “The truth is that Mrs. Zelenska has reached out to Melania several times to set up a meeting, but there’s no bilateral meeting,” Marc Beckman, a senior adviser to the US first lady, said on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.” Beckman added, “There’s nothing formal. As our first lady is very polite, she’s going to say hello today, but there’s no sit-down, substantive conversation set, no meeting set.”
Link
This reader comment said it well:
"So, Melania announced the launch of a new coalition on children’s well-being and artificial intelligence safety that she said she hoped they would join but hastily retreats after her speech to avoid Olena Zelenska who has been trying to speak with her. That's rich coming from someone whose husband has eliminated US funding for programs which assist in children's well-being around the world. Those were empty words coming from the wife of the empty suit in the White House."
But at least $Melania is polite about it. For more on that see:
Last month, Melania Trump penned a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, obliquely referencing the “darkness” around children impacted by war, telling the Russian leader he has the power to “singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter.” She did not specifically name Ukraine, nor has she publicly stated a position on the war. The president delivered his wife’s letter to Putin during their August 15 meeting in Alaska. On Tuesday afternoon, with Zelenska in the audience of VIP spouses, Melania Trump unveiled her “Fostering the Future Together” initiative (which is not related to her “Fostering the Future” initiative on opportunities for foster children). Its mission is vague, promising an effort to “(enhance) the well-being of children worldwide through the promotion of education, innovation, and technology,” according to her office, and will include private-sector collaboration on AI, robotics and blockchain. Beckman, on Fox News, described it as a “think tank” with branding that could be translated to other countries. Trump called on her counterparts to “lead this movement in your region of the world,” to “safeguard healthy environments for our children” and to “work with me to empower children to achieve new heights across our planet.”
Zelenska was expected to meet with Trump following Tuesday’s event, an effort to use the US first lady’s enormous public platform to shine a light on Russian atrocities impacting her most vulnerable citizens: children. Trump immediately departed the room after her brief remarks without greeting her counterparts as the reception continued, and Zelenska was spotted standing quietly near an elevator several minutes later while a string rendition of pop star Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” played over speakers. An adviser to Trump downplayed any significance or change to US policy, describing the meeting as an informal hello to be polite. “The truth is that Mrs. Zelenska has reached out to Melania several times to set up a meeting, but there’s no bilateral meeting,” Marc Beckman, a senior adviser to the US first lady, said on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.” Beckman added, “There’s nothing formal. As our first lady is very polite, she’s going to say hello today, but there’s no sit-down, substantive conversation set, no meeting set.”
Link
This reader comment said it well:
"So, Melania announced the launch of a new coalition on children’s well-being and artificial intelligence safety that she said she hoped they would join but hastily retreats after her speech to avoid Olena Zelenska who has been trying to speak with her. That's rich coming from someone whose husband has eliminated US funding for programs which assist in children's well-being around the world. Those were empty words coming from the wife of the empty suit in the White House."
But at least $Melania is polite about it. For more on that see:
Opinion | Civility Is a Fantasy
Calling for civility is a way of reminding the powerless that they exist at the will of those in power and should act accordingly.