The U.S. will allocate $27 million for the return and rehabilitation of Ukrainian children
The U.S. will allocate a total of $27 million for programs related to the return, rehabilitation, and reintegration of Ukrainian children and youth. This was announced by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, who thanked Washington for its support in this area.
The United States plans to fund two programs for Ukrainian children and youth who have been separated from their families due to the war. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga announced this on September 24. According to him, the total amount of U.S. support will be $27 million. The first program will cost $12 million. These funds will be directed toward the return of Ukrainian children, their rehabilitation, and their subsequent reintegration in Ukraine.
An additional $15 million is earmarked for a future program designed to assist with the identification and return of children. Sybiga thanked the U.S. for its support and emphasized that these programs are intended to strengthen the joint efforts of Ukraine and its partners in the return of children. “We are sincerely grateful to the United States for its consistently strong support for the return, rehabilitation, and full reintegration of Ukrainian children and youth,” the foreign minister wrote.
According to him, the announced programs are intended to help coordinate efforts to locate children, facilitate their return, and provide ongoing support. “Today’s announcement of a $12 million program for these purposes, as well as a future $15 million program for their identification and return, will help support our coordinated efforts and ensure full accountability,” Sibiga noted.
Melania Trump is also working on the return of Ukrainian children
The issue of returning Ukrainian children has remained one of the focus areas for U.S. First Lady Melania Trump in recent months. The White House reported that she is involved in the process of reuniting Ukrainian and Russian children with their families. In July 2026, her team helped organize the return of five more children to their loved ones.
In April, the White House announced the fourth such reunion. At that time, six Ukrainian children were set to return to their families in Ukraine, and one more child was scheduled to join their family later that same month. In May, Melania Trump stated that reuniting children with their families remains one of the key priorities of her work. She also emphasized the need to help families who have been separated by the war.
The White House notes that efforts to reunite children with their families are ongoing, with the participation of representatives from Ukraine and Russia. At the same time, the U.S. side has not announced the full completion of this process. The new U.S. aid has a specific practical focus—not only the return of children, but also their rehabilitation and reintegration upon their return. It also involves locating and determining the whereabouts of children who need to be returned to Ukraine.
Earlier, Sibiga also discussed the issue of returning Ukrainian children with representatives of international organizations and foreign partners. In particular, on September 22, he met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, with whom he discussed further steps regarding the return of Ukrainian children. Thus, the $27 million in U.S. funding is intended to cover several stages at once—from the identification and return of children to providing them with assistance after reunification with their families and their return to Ukrainian communities. This was stated by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga.
Ukraine is negotiating with the U.S. company Raytheon regarding a license to manufacture PAC-2 GEM-T anti-aircraft missiles for Patriot systems. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, it may take between one and one and a half years to begin production after the license is granted. The first Ukrainian-made missiles, according to Defense Express, may not be available until at least the end of 2028.
