In a rare diplomatic gathering at the White House, former First Lady Melania Trump welcomed senior officials from both Russia and Ukraine to discuss a lasting pause in the conflict. The meeting followed a six‑day ceasefire in the southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky, where residents who had endured starvation and constant bombardment were finally able to evacuate.
Trump, who was recently honored with Ukraine’s Order of Princess Olha, 1st Class for her humanitarian efforts, emphasized that the lives of civilians must transcend the divisions of war. “The lives of innocent people must transcend the division of war. I hope Oleshky inspires greater peace,” she said.
The delegations included Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and his Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova, as well as Ukrainian MP Davyd Arakhamia and Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev. All expressed gratitude to Trump for her role in facilitating the ceasefire, though the specifics of her involvement remain undisclosed.
During the truce, Trump reviewed demining plans, aerial images, and evacuation routes, and she praised the return of “simple joys of life” for people in Oleshky and nearby Kherson. She thanked both President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Vladimir Putin without commenting on the origins of the war.
Dmitriev, a businessman and Kremlin special envoy, thanked Trump for saving lives and presented her with a framed drawing by an 11‑year‑old evacuee from Oleshky. He also lauded her work on reuniting children separated by the conflict.
Arakhamia described the Oleshky ceasefire as “the biggest de‑escalation since 2022” and highlighted the momentum it created for both sides to learn how to maintain peace.
Source: BBC World
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