United States First Lady Melania Trump has urged Russia and Ukraine to build on a recent localised ceasefire and pursue a more “enduring” peace. She made the appeal on Thursday while hosting officials from both countries at the White House.
The White House described the gathering as believed to be “the first time in American history that a First Lady has personally brought representatives of two nations at war to the White House for diplomacy”. Among those attending was Kirill Dmitriev, who serves as a special envoy to Putin, along with Yana Lantratova, Russia’s human rights commissioner. From Ukraine came David Arakhamia, head of the Servant of the People party in parliament, and Dmytro Lubinets, the parliamentary human rights commissioner.
Melania Trump outlines her role in the truce
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Trump said: “Together, we can create something more enduring than a temporary ceasefire.” She urged both sides to view the humanitarian truce in Oleshky as “a spark in a world of darkness”.
She described her position as an “exclusive intermediary”, a role she said was set out in written agreements signed by both countries. She added that she had been involved at every stage of planning, including the review of de-mining plans and evacuation routes.
Ukrainian representatives presented the first lady with the Order of Princess Olga, first class, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had awarded her earlier this week. She also handed the most senior officials present letters she had written to Putin and Zelenskyy.
Six-day Oleshky truce delivered aid and evacuations
The six-day truce covered the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region and the surrounding area. It allowed aid deliveries and the evacuation of nearly 800 people, while an estimated 2,000 civilians had been left in the city.
The arrangement was the longest multi-day truce between Russia and Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. It also marked the first joint relief operation in four years and eight months.
The White House said Melania Trump mediated the truce. Pope Leo XIV, however, also pressed both sides to allow aid and evacuations, and accounts of who brokered the truce have diverged.
Komyshuvakha bombing follows truce expiry
The truce expired last Sunday without an extension. The following day, a Russian bombing of an aid distribution point in Komyshuvakha, in the Zaporizhia region, killed at least 40 people, according to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
New US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine are expected to take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.
