Washington DC: US First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday hosted Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the White House following the implementation of a humanitarian ceasefire in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region.
Acting as an “Exclusive Intermediary” between Moscow and Kyiv, Melania facilitated written agreements signed on October 23, 2026. The agreements established a localised truce, enabled civilian evacuations, cleared safe corridors and advanced family reunification efforts.
The delegation included Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova, Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia.
“Oleshky will forever unite the brave individuals gathered at the White House today… We have chosen humanity over war. Undeniably, the lives of innocent people must transcend the division of war,” Melania said.
She said she became aware of the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky in September and directed her representative Marc Beckman to engage with Russia and Ukraine to pursue peace in the region. According to her, both countries welcomed her participation after previous ceasefire efforts had failed.
Melania said the written agreements formalised her role and established a shared objective of delivering humanitarian aid and creating safe evacuation routes. She added that officials from both countries coordinated the operation and that she reviewed demining plans, roadways and aerial imagery.
The First Lady urged both sides to build on the localised truce, saying, “I hope Oleshky inspires greater peace.” She also entrusted personal letters addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Dmitriev and Arakhamia.
Representatives of both countries thanked her for facilitating the agreement. Lubinets presented Melania with Ukraine’s Order of Princess Olga, First Class, on behalf of Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian nation.
Dmitriev expressed gratitude on behalf of Putin, praising her leadership in coordinating humanitarian operations and family reunifications. He said the initiative had helped reunite 34 children with their families across both countries. He also presented her with a drawing by an 11-year-old girl evacuated from Oleshky, bearing the words “I love Melania.”
Dmitriev added that Putin appreciated US President Donald Trump’s peacemaking efforts and his team’s work on a peace plan.
Arakhamia described the operation as the largest de-escalation achieved since 2022, saying initial scepticism about its success had given way to confidence.
The ceasefire was negotiated between Lubinets and Lantratova under Melania’s mediation. Following its incident-free implementation, route demining operations are underway to facilitate joint humanitarian missions and safe civilian passage in Oleshky.
