Melania Trump to Unite Russian, Ukrainian Representatives at White House

US First Lady Melania Trump will bring representatives of Russia and Ukraine together at the White House on Thursday, Nov. 5, following her efforts to secure a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding area of Ukraine’s Kherson region.According to a statement released by the White House on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Melania Trump will deliver remarks on the ceasefire at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 5.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The statement said the first lady had independently initiated engagement between the two countries, which have been at war since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.It described the meeting as “an extraordinary moment in American history” and called the ceasefire an “unprecedented diplomatic initiative” by an American first lady.The White House did not provide further details about the Russian and Ukrainian representatives expected to attend or the terms and duration of the reported ceasefire.Oleshky, in the occupied part of the Kherson region, has remained under Russian control since the early stages of the full-scale invasion.A five-day ceasefire around the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky ended on Sunday evening, Nov. 1, following a humanitarian operation that evacuated several hundred civilians.The operation began on Tuesday, Oct. 27 under an agreement between Ukraine and Russia, with the involvement of Melania Trump and her team. Other Topics of Interest Medinsky to Lead Abu Dhabi Peace Talks, Again The arrangement risks a repetition of the 2025 Istanbul talks – also headed by Medinsky – when the only tangible outcome was a POW swap as the war raged on. Ukraine’s Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, said on Monday, Nov. 2 that Melania Trump’s team had played an important role in securing the agreement and coordinating the operation.He added representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the US signed copies of the ceasefire document, with Washington acting as a guarantor of the sides’ commitments.Most evacuees chose to travel to Ukrainian-controlled territory. According to Lubinets, Russia acknowledged that around 80% of those evacuated had opted for Ukraine.Kyiv Post sources familiar with the operation said fewer than 10 people chose to relocate to Russia, while several dozen sought to move to other Russian-occupied areas.However, the operation has raised concerns among Ukrainian military personnel, saying Russian forces may have used the pause in fighting to rotate troops and move equipment along roads previously exposed to Ukrainian fire. Lubinets disputed reports of ceasefire violations, saying military equipment observed on the Russian side had been used exclusively for demining.Several hundred people, potentially as many as 1,000, reportedly remain in Oleshky, with some unwilling or unable to leave.Lubinets said humanitarian aid had been delivered to those who stayed and that similar operations could be organized monthly, although Ukrainian military personnel have warned that repeated pauses could give Russian forces opportunities to reinforce their positions. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.