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White House hosts Russian, Ukrainian envoys as Melania Trump hails Oleshky truce
First Lady Melania Trump welcomed Russian and Ukrainian officials to the White House on Thursday to mark a ceasefire she says she brokered in the war-torn city of Oleshky. The White House called it the first time a first lady has personally brought representatives of two warring nations together for diplomacy.
First Lady Melania Trump brought officials from Russia and Ukraine together at the White House on Thursday to celebrate a short humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, a Russian-held city in southern Ukraine, that she says she negotiated herself. The White House said the gathering was believed to be the first time in American history that a first lady had personally hosted representatives of two nations actively at war for diplomacy.
"We have chosen humanity over war," Mrs. Trump said. She called Oleshky "a spark in a world of darkness" and urged both sides to "create something more enduring than a temporary ceasefire."
In this part of her speech, the first lady gives credit to both presidents. "The ceasefire in Oleshky would not be possible without President Putin and President Zelensky," she said. "Their cooperation establishes a meaningful precedent for advancing peace throughout the region." Russia was represented by Kirill Dmitriev, President Vladimir Putin's special envoy, and Yana Lantratova, Russia's human rights commissioner. Ukraine sent Davyd Arakhamia, who leads President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party in parliament, and Dmytro Lubinets, the parliament's human rights commissioner.
A first lady as "exclusive intermediary"
Mrs. Trump said she learned of the crisis in Oleshky in September and told her representative, Marc Beckman, to approach Moscow and Kyiv on her behalf. Both governments agreed to work with her as "Exclusive Intermediary," a role she said was written into agreements that Russia and Ukraine signed in both languages on Oct. 23. "I was involved in every stage of the planning," she said. "I reviewed demining plans, aerial images, assessed roadways, and discussed evacuation routes, hospital access, vehicles, and medical resources."
Her office worked through channels it had set up earlier to reunite 34 children with their families in Russia and Ukraine, according to the White House.
Oleshky lies on the left bank of the Dnieper River, across from the city of Kherson, and Russian forces have held it since the early days of the 2022 invasion. About 24,000 people lived there before the war. The White House estimated that 1,700 to 2,000 remained this fall, most of them elderly, along with about 50 children. Roughly 90% of the city flooded after the Kakhovka Dam was destroyed in 2023. The first lady called it "a front-line war city on the brink of disaster."
What the truce delivered
Fighting around Oleshky stopped early on Oct. 27, and the pause was later extended until late on Nov. 1, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials. A convoy brought in food, medicine, hygiene supplies and fuel, and the White House says nearly 800 people were evacuated. Residents could choose to leave for Russia or for Ukrainian-controlled territory. Four Newsmax journalists went into the area to document the operation, and they attended Thursday's event.
Here the Ukrainian delegation presents Mrs. Trump with the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, on Zelensky's behalf. It is the highest degree of Ukraine's top state honor for women. Zelensky signed the decree on Nov. 2, citing her "significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine." The White House said the award recognizes her leadership in securing the ceasefire.
Letters, gifts and lessons from history
At the end of her speech, the first lady handed Dmitriev and Arakhamia personal letters she had written to Putin and Zelensky. Their contents were not released. She also showed her guests two pieces from the White House collection as symbols of peace: a late-18th-century medicine chest removed from the White House after British troops set it on fire in the War of 1812, and an 1899 cup given to France's ambassador for helping end the Spanish-American War.
Speaking for Moscow, Dmitriev thanked the first lady for what he called her "distinguished humanitarian role" in Oleshky. "Dear Melania, you have saved so many lives," he said before handing over a small gift. Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported that it was a drawing by an 11-year-old girl from Oleshky. Mrs. Trump, for her part, thanked Lantratova, saying her "dedication brings hope and dignity to those devastated by war."
Neither Moscow nor Kyiv has publicly laid out the full extent of the first lady's role in the talks, but both have thanked her repeatedly. Putin said last week that the mission was organized "with the support of the First Lady of the United States." The White House event comes days before Russia, Ukraine and the United States are due to resume three-way talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11, according to the Kremlin.
Video: The White House via social media. Photos: The White House; Gottinight / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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