US First Lady Melania Trump has called for a more lasting ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine as she hosted officials from both countries at the White House in Washington. The meeting, held on Thursday, November 5, aimed to build on a recent six-day ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, which helped civilians leave the conflict-hit area and allowed humanitarian assistance to reach residents.
During the meeting, Melania Trump urged both sides to use the temporary truce to build lasting peace and reduce the suffering of innocent people. She also handed personal letters addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the visiting representatives. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Ukrainian official David Arakhamia attended the event, along with human rights representatives from both countries.
The meeting comes ahead of expected trilateral peace talks involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi. The six-day ceasefire in Oleshky, which lasted from October 27 to November 1, reportedly enabled nearly 800 people to evacuate and allowed essential food and medical supplies to reach the area. Melania Trump’s initiative has raised hopes for further humanitarian cooperation, although a comprehensive peace agreement between the two countries remains uncertain.
