Trump Meets Privately With Putin Envoy After White House Event Marking Oleshky Ceasefire

By Reuters Nov. 6, 2026 U.S. first lady Melania Trump with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev. REUTERS / Elizabeth Frantz U.S. President Donald Trump said he met privately on Thursday with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev after he appeared alongside Ukrainian representatives at a White House event hosted by U.S. first lady Melania Trump. Trump did not disclose what he discussed with Dmitriev but predicted a deal to end the war in Ukraine could emerge soon. "It's going to be a big agreement, and it's going to involve more than Ukraine ... I could even say it might involve all of Europe. It's going to be a big, beautiful agreement, and everyone's going to be thrilled," Trump told reporters. Trump said he did not meet with the Ukrainian representatives at the White House on Thursday. Dmitriev was at the White House for a rare face-to-face with officials from Ukraine to mark a six-day ceasefire and humanitarian mission that Melania Trump helped broker in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky. The ceasefire expired on Sunday. "We have chosen humanity over war," the first lady said at the event. "We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people." Melania Trump said she was "involved in every stage of the planning" of the temporary ceasefire, including reviewing aerial images and assessing roadways and hospital access. President Trump, who did not attend the event with Ukraine and Russia, has lauded his wife's role in the Oleshky ceasefire, telling reporters in October that "she does better than our professionals." Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia and Dmytro Lubinets, the country's human rights ombudsman, also attended. They urged Melania Trump to keep up her peace efforts. Both sides presented the first lady with thank-you gifts. Dmitriev gave Melania Trump a drawing of pink hearts from a girl in Oleshky and said the child "chose to live with her family in Russia," nodding to the fight over displaced Ukrainian children in Russia. "I love Melania," the drawing read. The Ukrainians presented the first lady with a state award "for your brave heart, for saving our people, and for returning Ukrainian children." She handed the visiting delegations letters addressed to Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Dmitriev previously met with Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in the White House in 2025. He has also been involved in facilitating the release of American detainees in Russia, the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families and the humanitarian operation in Oleshky. A U.S. delegation is scheduled to mediate talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10 and 11 between representatives from Russia and Ukraine. Ahead of those talks, White House envoy and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said U.S. officials met in Brussels on Thursday and called it "productive and substantive." The meeting involved officials from Ukraine, NATO and European countries, with a focus on post-war security guarantees for Kyiv and Europe more broadly. Kushner said in a social media post that negotiators were exploring five principal goals: permanent security consultations, reliable crisis communications, greater military transparency, reciprocal measures to reduce escalation risks and an enduring framework for long-term European security and stability. "Any arrangements must fully respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independent decision-making of every nation," Kushner said. "Each country will retain authority over its own security and alliances, and no country would have a veto over another's sovereign choices." "NATO will remain central to European collective defense, and this initiative would build upon existing institutions and commitments," he added. Read more about: United States , Trump , 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. 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