First Lady Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House on Thursday, urging the two countries to build toward lasting peace after a temporary ceasefire she helped broker in southern Ukraine.
The gathering included Kirill Dmitriev, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to The Hill. It followed a humanitarian agreement centered on Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region.
“I hope Oleshky inspires greater peace,” the first lady said, according to The Hill.
“Together, we can create something more enduring than a temporary ceasefire,” she continued.
Ahead of the meeting, the White House credited Melania Trump with independently initiating engagement between the two countries and helping secure the localized pause in fighting. Her office described the effort as an “unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American First Lady.”
The agreement was designed to allow humanitarian aid into Oleshky and provide safe passage for civilians seeking to evacuate. In its October announcement, the White House said the first lady and her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to establish the arrangement’s terms and procedures.
“The situation in Oleshky is dire,” Melania Trump said in that statement. Her office described residents struggling with scarce food, medicine and clean water, limited electricity and mined roads.
The White House said the initiative grew out of a private discussion during her Fostering the Future Together event at the United Nations General Assembly. She then used communication channels established through earlier efforts to reunite children with their families.
