The First Lady Melania Trump
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mrs. Trump,

Your public role as The First Lady of the United States provides an important opportunity to draw attention to enhance protection of civilians affected by armed conflicts. We appreciate your efforts to highlight the humanitarian consequences of war, and particularly the plight of the most vulnerable groups affected by the war.

We are reaching out to you on behalf of the People First Campaign, an international initiative calling for the release of detainees held in connection with Russia’s war against Ukraine, including unlawfully detained Ukrainian civilians and deported or forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. We appreciate the efforts you have already made to help facilitate the return of Ukrainian children to their families.

We are writing to you today in advance of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, observed annually on 19 June. This day serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of conflict-related sexual violence on individuals, families, and communities, and of the importance of ensuring accountability for such crimes and lasting support for survivors. In this context, we wish to draw your attention to the situation of civilian Ukrainian women detained by Russian authorities, many of whom have reported sexual violence and other forms of abuse and to urge greater international attention to their plight.

In 2025, prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine resulted in the release of significantly more Ukrainian civilian detainees than in any previous year since the start of the full-scale invasion. This occurred in the context of renewed diplomatic efforts led by your husband, President Trump. Yet, among the civilians released and repatriated, only six were women. Many Ukrainian women remain in unlawful detention, often held incommunicado in inhumane conditions, systematically subjected to torture and other forms of cruel and degrading treatment.

In 2024, Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna died in Russian custody. Her case drew international attention to the grave risks faced by Ukrainian civilian detainees, including women.

Another Ukrainian civilian detainee, Natalia Vlasova, was sentenced by a Russian court last year to 18 years of imprisonment on fabricated charges including terrorism, espionage, attempted attacks on law enforcement officers, and illegal arms trafficking. In court, she described how security agents had tortured her during interrogations: subjecting her to electric shocks, stripping her naked, sexually abusing her, dousing her with water, beating her, and filing her teeth. The court, however, refused to consider her allegations. Natalia’s nine-year-old daughter Yulia, who has not seen her mother for seven years, is waiting for her in Kyiv.

The exact number of Ukrainian civilian women unlawfully held in Russian detention remains unknown, as Russian authorities do not disclose information about them. The Center for Civil Liberties and Ukrainian War Archive, both members of the People First campaign, have identified 257 Ukrainian civilian women currently in Russian captivity, though this list is incomplete. Many detained women urgently require medical care, and some may not survive further prolonged detention.

Your voice and leadership could help draw international attention to this issue and encourage efforts to secure the release of these women. We respectfully urge you to highlight the issue of Ukrainian civilian detainees, particularly women, in your public engagements and humanitarian initiatives related to the war in Ukraine. Increased international attention can help ensure that the situation of civilian detainees become a priority in the ongoing negotiations around Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The People First Campaign and its partner organizations stand ready to provide any additional information that may assist you in these efforts.

We thank you for your attention to this deeply important human rights and humanitarian issue.

Respectfully yours,

MEMBER-ORGANIZATIONS