Melania Trump Hosts Russian and Ukrainian Officials After Oleshky Ceasefire

US First Lady Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the White House on Thursday, November 5, 2026, to mark a six-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky that she helped broker.

The truce, which lasted from October 27 to November 1, allowed residents to evacuate and supplies to reach the frontline town. During the White House meeting, Kremlin special envoy Kirill Dmitriev presented the First Lady with a child painting depicting a young girl who left Oleshky for Russia. Dmitriev stated that the humanitarian operation helped reunite 34 children with their families in Russia and Ukraine.

Ukrainian representatives at the meeting included Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets and parliamentary faction leader Davyd Arakhamia, alongside Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova and Dmitriev. Lubinets presented Melania Trump with the Order of Princess Olha, First Class, which was awarded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for her humanitarian contributions. Melania Trump delivered personal letters from herself to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The First Lady stated at the gathering that the participants had chosen humanity over war and that the agreement could serve as a step toward regional peace. The gathering occurred three days after midterm elections in the United States shifted control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives to Democrats. The meeting preceded trilateral talks scheduled for November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi involving officials from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia.