Melania Trump Convenes Russian and Ukrainian Officials at the White House

The first lady details her humanitarian involvement days after the Oleshky ceasefire.

First Lady Melania Trump hands letters for Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky to Russia’s presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev (L) and Leader of the Servant of the People’s Political Party of Ukraine David Arakhamia (C) during an event marking the ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, at the White House in Washington, D.C., on November 5, 2026. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on November 4 awarded First Lady Melania Trump a national honor for her role in brokering a partial ceasefire that allowed the evacuation of civilians from a Russian-occupied town. Last month, Melania Trump announced a localized truce between Ukrainian and Russian forces to allow for residents of Oleshky on the southern front to leave, after suffering weeks of shortages of food and medicine. The rare halt in fighting, which was respected by both sides, allowed roads to be demined and residents to depart for either Ukraine or Russia. (Credit: Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)