US First Lady Melania Trump will host representatives of Russia and Ukraine at the White House on Thursday, in an initiative centred on a temporary ceasefire in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson. The White House said Melania had independently opened channels of engagement between the two warring countries and helped secure a six-day truce in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky and surrounding areas.
She is scheduled to deliver remarks on the agreement at 11 am ET on November 5.The meeting comes after the temporary ceasefire expired on Sunday, following a six-day pause that allowed civilians to leave the conflict-hit area and humanitarian supplies to reach residents. Negotiated through mediation efforts involving Melania and Pope Leo, the arrangement allowed roads to be cleared of mines, food and medicines to be delivered, and people trapped in dangerous areas to be evacuated.Nearly 800 people were evacuated from Oleshky, according to Melania, while Ukraine's military separately reported moving 167 civilians from threatened parts of Kherson to safer locations on Sunday.
Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said both sides had honoured their commitments throughout the ceasefire.MELANIA TRUMP'S DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVEThe White House announced the first lady's planned engagement on Tuesday, describing her decision to bring representatives of the two countries together as an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American first lady. "First Lady Melania Trump will personally bring representatives of Russia and Ukraine, two nations actively at war, together at the White House. This event represents an extraordinary moment in American history."Mrs.
Trump independently initiated engagement between the two warring nations and successfully secured a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region. This achievement marks an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American First Lady. "First Lady Melania Trump will deliver remarks on the ceasefire in Oleshky at 11:00 am ET on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at the White House."The ceasefire covered Oleshky and surrounding areas in the Kherson region, where Russian and Ukrainian forces remain separated by the Dnipro River.
The town has been under Russian control since the early stages of Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022.In a post on X, Melania said the truce "has provided residents with the freedom to move, access to food, clean water, medicine, plus a renewed sense of dignity without the constant threat of attack".She also expressed hope that the humanitarian operation could become a foundation for lasting peace between the two countries.OLESHKY CEASEFIRE EXPIRES AFTER SIX DAYSThe temporary arrangement expired at midnight Moscow time on Sunday (9 pm GMT), ending the longest local pause in fighting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. There was no immediate indication of renewed hostilities in the area following the expiry.Ukraine's Ombudsman for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said both sides had "upheld the obligations they undertook throughout the duration of this period."He said he and Russia's Commissioner for Human Rights, Yana Lantratova, were exploring ways to continue similar humanitarian operations.Lubinets said they were "exploring possibilities to continue similar humanitarian efforts.
It is important to maintain this interaction mechanism so that we can keep helping people and saving lives."The Russian side also gave a positive assessment of the operation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was satisfied with how the arrangement had been implemented in Oleshky and with the coordination between the two countries' human rights commissioners.Pope Leo, who was involved in the mediation efforts, expressed hope that the cooperation could help pave the way for broader peace initiatives.UKRAINE EVACUATES 167 PEOPLE FROM KHERSON REGIONThe end of the ceasefire did not remove the danger facing civilians in the wider Kherson region.
Ukrainian authorities continued evacuation efforts in areas exposed to Russian attacks, with the military reporting that 167 people were moved to safer locations on Sunday.The evacuees included 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility who required special assistance. The operation was carried out by Ukrainian military units in coordination with local authorities.The evacuation followed the departure of residents from Oleshky two days earlier.
Those leaving the Russian-held town were taken by bus towards Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. From there, separate groups travelled towards Russia or Ukraine.According to Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova, the initial evacuation involved 25 buses and nine ambulances.
Some residents travelled through the Russian town of Anapa and Belarus before reaching Ukraine.Melania put the total number of people evacuated at nearly 800, although the number of residents who chose to remain in Oleshky was not immediately known.RUSSIA, UKRAINE AND US OFFICIALS TO MEET IN ABU DHABIThe White House meeting on Thursday will take place ahead of another round of US-mediated negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, scheduled for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi.Russia confirmed on Tuesday that it would participate in the trilateral discussions involving the United States and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed the upcoming meeting.US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had earlier announced the dates after holding separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy last month.
Those engagements had raised expectations that three-way negotiations would resume in November.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's delegation would travel to Abu Dhabi on November 10-11."The Russian delegation will arrive on November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi to take part in trilateral talks," Peskov told reporters.The Russian delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a Putin aide who has represented Moscow in several previous rounds of negotiations with Ukraine. He also led Russia's delegations during unsuccessful talks in 2022, Istanbul last year and Geneva earlier this year.The Abu Dhabi meeting will be another attempt by Washington to bring the two sides closer to an agreement after more than four years of war.
Previous negotiations have failed to produce a breakthrough, with disagreements over territory and security arrangements remaining major obstacles.Meanwhile, tensions between Moscow and Kyiv escalated on Tuesday after Russian strikes killed at least 31 people at a humanitarian aid distribution site in southeastern Ukraine, while overnight attacks damaged power plants and hospitals across the country. Ukraine, meanwhile, struck a Russian oil refinery in a fresh attack on Moscow's energy infrastructure.The death toll from the Russian strike in the village of Komyushuvakha, in the Zaporizhzhia region, rose to 31, with more than 45 people still reported missing.
Rescuers and volunteers continued searching through the rubble of the destroyed aid facility and shelter, hoping to find survivors. However, recovery teams pulled out more bodies as the search progressed.- EndsWith inputs from agencies