Melania Trump has become the focus of intense speculation after a letter she reportedly wrote to Vladimir Putin was delivered during her husband Donald Trump’s highly anticipated meeting with the Russian president.
On Friday, August 15, Trump and Putin met face-to-face for the first time in years, holding talks in Alaska about the ongoing war in Ukraine. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly pledged to bring an end to the devastating conflict, which has dragged on since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
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According to CNN, nearly one million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded during the war, while Statista estimates close to 14,000 Ukrainian civilians have lost their lives, including more than 700 children.
Against this tragic backdrop, First Lady Melania Trump penned what has been described as a “peace letter” to Putin. The note was hand-delivered by her husband during the meeting. In the message, dated August 15, she appealed directly to the Russian leader by invoking the suffering of children caught in the conflict.
“Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center,” Melania wrote. “They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger. As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation’s hope. As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few. Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter. In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone, you serve humanity itself.”
The letter concluded with a plea that “it is time” to end the war, before being signed “Melania Trump.”
However, it is this signature that has generated the most discussion.
On social media, observers quickly noted that the handwriting appeared to strongly resemble Donald Trump’s famously jagged scrawl rather than Melania’s smoother cursive style.
“Anyone know when Melania’s signature morphed into Donald’s?” one person asked on Twitter. Another joked: “Lol did Trump forge Melania’s signature?” while others claimed outright that the letter had been fabricated.
“This isn’t even Melania’s signature,” one commenter argued. “The letter to Putin was completely made up.”
Others struck a more humorous tone, with one user remarking: “I’m no handwriting expert per se, but that ‘Melania Trump’ signature looks a lot more like Donald’s scribble than hers.”
The White House has not yet commented on the authenticity of the letter or its signature.
As for the meeting itself, reports indicate that while Trump did not reach a formal agreement with Putin, he suggested “great progress” had been made in the talks. Details of what that progress entailed have not been disclosed.
The letter, and the storm of speculation surrounding it, has added yet another layer of intrigue to Trump’s efforts to position himself as a dealmaker capable of brokering peace in one of the world’s most entrenched conflicts.