Melania Trump to Host Russian and Ukrainian Delegations at White House

Nov. 3, 2026 Residents from the occupied town of Oleshky return to Ukrainian-controlled territory. REUTERS / Valentyn Ogirenko U.S. first lady Melania Trump will host representatives from Russia and Ukraine at the White House this week to deliver remarks on a recently concluded ceasefire and humanitarian mission in the occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky, the White House announced Tuesday. The six-day ceasefire, which ended Sunday, had allowed emergency aid to reach Oleshky and any civilians to leave if they wanted, either to Ukrainian-controlled territory or Russia. “This achievement marks an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American First Lady,” the White House said in a statement, adding that Melania Trump will deliver an address on the Oleshky ceasefire at 11 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday. The comments follow a report in the French newspaper Le Monde that claimed the humanitarian operation was negotiated over a period of four months by Russia’s GRU and Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence agencies. Sources cited by the newspaper suggested that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to credit the first lady for the ceasefire as a way to placate U.S. President Donald Trump as he pushes for a diplomatic breakthrough in peace negotiations. The White House statement on Tuesday said Melania Trump “independently initiated engagement between the two warring nations and successfully secured a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region.” Russia and the U.S. confirmed this week that trilateral talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine will resume in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10 and 11 after having stalled in February due to the conflict in the Middle East. Read more about: United States , Ukraine Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Moscow Slams Planned Ukraine Peace Summit as U.S. 'Project' The high-level summit will be held in Switzerland on June 15-16, with Swiss media saying U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to attend. 1 Min read U.S., Russia Hold High-Stakes Talks on Ukraine The talks with the United States kick off a week of diplomacy during which Russian officials will meet representatives of NATO and the OSCE. U.S. Intel Believes Russian Invasion of Ukraine ‘Imminent’ – Bloomberg The Kremlin has shot down U.S. concerns over a possible invasion as "hysteria." BREAKING: Austrian Court Approves Ukrainian Oligarch's Extradition to U.S. Kremlin-connected Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash faces racketeering charges in Chicago. A Vienna court has now approved a U.S. request to extradite...