US First Lady Melania Trump hosted representatives of Ukraine and Russia at the White House on November 5, highlighting a humanitarian operation in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region and calling for the temporary ceasefire to become a foundation for lasting peace, according to the White House.
The Ukrainian delegation included Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets and David Arakhamia, head of the ruling Servant of the People parliamentary faction.
Russia was represented by Kirill Dmitriev, a special envoy of Vladimir Putin, and Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova.
As The Kyiv Independent reported, the meeting brought Ukrainian and Russian officials together in an unusual diplomatic setting, with the US first lady acting as a humanitarian intermediary.
Melania Trump describes her role in the humanitarian operation
During the event, Melania Trump said she had personally helped coordinate the humanitarian mission, which enabled aid deliveries and the evacuation of nearly 800 people from Oleshky.
According to the official White House statement, preparations began in September after the first lady learned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the occupied town.
She instructed her representative, Marc Beckman, to establish contact with Ukrainian and Russian officials and help negotiate arrangements for humanitarian access.
Trump said the agreement was formally documented and signed by Ukraine and Russia on October 23.
She also described her involvement in reviewing demining plans, aerial imagery, road conditions, evacuation routes, hospital access, transportation and medical resources.
The first lady thanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin for their cooperation in facilitating the operation.
A call to turn a temporary ceasefire into lasting peace
Melania Trump urged both countries to build on the humanitarian cooperation achieved in Oleshky.
In her remarks published by the White House, she argued that the operation demonstrated how the two sides could work together to protect civilians despite the ongoing war.
The first lady expressed hope that the initiative could become the beginning of a broader peace process rather than remain an isolated humanitarian arrangement.
She described the Oleshky operation as a potential spark for lasting peace and encouraged further cooperation focused on protecting innocent lives.
Ukrainian state award and personal letters to Zelenskyy and Putin
During the meeting, Ukrainian representatives presented Melania Trump with the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, previously awarded to her by President Zelenskyy in recognition of her contribution to the humanitarian mission.
According to the White House, the first lady thanked Ukraine for the honor and acknowledged Lubinets’ efforts to protect people affected by the war.
At the end of the event, she handed personal letters addressed to Zelenskyy and Putin to Arakhamia and Dmitriev, respectively.
The contents of the letters were not publicly disclosed.
Will further humanitarian operations follow?
The White House meeting followed a temporary ceasefire around Oleshky that enabled humanitarian assistance, including food, water, medicine and the evacuation of civilians.
However, Ukraine and Russia have expressed different positions on whether similar missions should continue.
As The Kyiv Independent reported, Ukrainian representatives called for further humanitarian operations, while Russian officials indicated that no comparable initiatives were currently planned.
The gathering marked a rare occasion on which Ukrainian and Russian representatives participated in the same White House event under the first lady’s humanitarian initiative.
Despite Melania Trump’s appeal for lasting peace, no concrete agreement on a nationwide ceasefire or an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine was announced following the meeting.
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