U.S.
First Lady Melania Trump called for a “more enduring” ceasefire in Ukraine as she hosted a rare meeting between officials from the war-torn country and its invader Russia at the White House on Thursday (November 5, 2026).
The U.S. first lady stunned the world when she announced in October 2025 that she had established a secret channel of communication with Mr. President Donald Trump’s wife had announced last month. The unprecedented meeting hoped to build on a localised six-day truce in the starvation-hit Ukrainian city of Oleshky that U.S. “The ceasefire in Oleshky would not be possible without President Putin and President Zelenskyy. Their cooperation establishes a meaningful precedent for advancing peace throughout the region,” she added. Melania Trump on Mr. Mr. The Ukrainian president awarded Ms. Melania Trump a national honor for her role in brokering the Oleshky ceasefire, which Lubinets personally presented at the White House. Putin in a bid to reunite war-separated children.
The Slovenian-born former model said she was sending the envoys back with personal letters to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said he thanked Ms. Putin’s behalf for her “distinguished humanitarian role” in brokering the truce in Oleshky and for work on reuniting children separated from their families by the war. Zelenskyy said he had a “very detailed, hour-and-a-half-long” conversation with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ahead of the Abu Dhabi talks.
