In brief
On Thursday, Melania Trump held a meeting with Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House, urging a lasting truce after a ceasefire began in the occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky. She said the ceasefire could lead to a broader, enduring peace and highlighted her role in evacuation planning. U.S. officials plan to lead the next round of talks in the United Arab Emirates next week.
On Thursday, at the White House, First Lady Melania Trump welcomed officials from Russia and Ukraine to discuss peace talks after the ceasefire that began in the occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky on Oct. 27.
The meeting focused on the humanitarian gains of the ceasefire, which has seen hundreds of residents evacuated from Oleshky after navigating blockades and minefields. First Lady Trump said that the ceasefire could herald a broader, more enduring peace agreement for the region.
“Now, we must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people,” she said. “Together, we can create something more enduring than a temporary cease‑fire.”
She added that she had been involved in every stage of the evacuation planning, from reviewing de‑mining plans and aerial images to assessing roadways, evacuation routes, hospital access, vehicles, and medical resources. Trump described her role as “Exclusive Intermediary” and said it was memorialized in written agreements signed by both Russia and Ukraine.
According to UPI, about 2,000 residents still remain in Oleshky, and the U.S. administration plans to lead the next round of peace talks in the United Arab Emirates next week.
The Washington Post and BBC reports also covered the gathering, noting that Trump’s remarks reflected a broader call for a more lasting ceasefire in Ukraine. However, the articles did not record direct quotes from other participants in the meeting.
NASA and the United Nations announced that they would monitor the situation in Oleshky for compliance with the ceasefire terms, though no further details were released by those organizations at the time of the White House meeting.
