Melania Trump hosts Russian and Ukrainian envoys, urges lasting truce
Melania Trump brought Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Ukrainian MP Davyd Arakhamia and the two countries’ human-rights ombudsmen to the White House on Thursday, the first time a first lady has hosted representatives of two warring states, and handed over letters for Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. “Together, we can create something more enduring than a temporary ceasefire,” she said, after a six-day truce around Oleshky in Kherson allowed nearly 800 civilians to leave.
“The lives of innocent people must transcend the division of war. I hope Oleshky inspires greater peace,” Mrs Trump said; the truce ran from 27 October to 1 November, and she received Ukraine’s Order of Princess Olga. Donald Trump met Mr Dmitriev separately, not the Ukrainians, and predicted “a big agreement” that “might involve all of Europe”, adding: “I think we’re going to be very close to settling Russia-Ukraine.” Mr Zelensky’s response was pointed: “When Putin wants the fighting to stop, it stops.” In a television interview late on Thursday he pressed Western allies for written post-war security guarantees — “If Russia starts again, what will happen? Who will do what, with what means, and when?” — and said Ukraine’s chances of more American help “may now grow” after the midterms. Two days of talks in Brussels with the United States, Britain, France, Germany, the EU and the World Bank precede three-way negotiations in Abu Dhabi next week, the first since February. The war has not paused: the toll from Monday’s strike on Komyshuvakha in Zaporizhzhia rose to 53, and Russia launched 227 drones overnight. Watch Abu Dhabi for whether Moscow repeats Oleshky elsewhere.