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Melania Trump to bring Russian and Ukrainian officials together at White House
Developing story first seen 4 hours ago
Melania Trump is due to bring Russian and Ukrainian officials together at the White House on Thursday, ahead of renewed talks involving the three countries in Abu Dhabi. The meeting comes as hopes for peace have revived, alongside concern in Kyiv that closer ties between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin could weaken US support for Ukraine.
Russia’s Kirill Dmitriev and Yana Lantratova plan to attend if logistical arrangements allow, while Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said he was travelling to Washington. Ukraine has awarded Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, for humanitarian work and her role in arranging a local ceasefire that allowed residents to leave Oleshky; she has also worked to secure the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia.
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In short
- Melania Trump will host officials from Russia and Ukraine at the White House.
- The meeting precedes renewed three-way talks in Abu Dhabi.
- Ukraine honoured her for humanitarian work and a local ceasefire effort.
How this story developed
- 2 hours ago The planned White House meeting is now described as bringing representatives of two countries at war together, while Ukraine’s award to Melania Trump is said to recognise her humanitarian work and role in helping civilians leave Oleshky.
- 2 hours ago Melania Trump is due to bring Russian and Ukrainian officials together at the White House on Thursday, ahead of renewed three-way talks in Abu Dhabi, as Kyiv worries that Donald Trump’s closer ties with Vladimir Putin could weaken US support for Ukraine.
Full account
US First Lady Melania Trump is due to meet officials from Russia and Ukraine at the White House on Thursday, before planned talks in Abu Dhabi intended to explore an end to the war. Her office said she would bring representatives of the two countries together in person. The meeting comes as Russia’s full-scale invasion enters its fifth year and renewed contact between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has prompted concern in Kyiv about the future of US support.
Russia’s state news agency TASS, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, reported that Moscow’s international economic cooperation adviser Kirill Dmitriev and human rights ombudsman Yana Lantratova planned to attend, subject to logistical arrangements. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, also said he was travelling to Washington for meetings with the first lady. He invited people on Facebook to suggest a message he could pass on to her.
The White House meeting follows discussions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Zelenskyy described their conversation as detailed and lasting about an hour and a half. The Abu Dhabi gathering next week is expected to bring the three sides together for the first time since February.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy awarded Trump the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, recognising her humanitarian and human rights work. Her office said she had initiated contact that helped secure a limited ceasefire around Russian-occupied Oleshky in the Kherson region. The pause, announced last month, enabled roads to be cleared of mines and residents facing shortages of food and medicine to leave for either Ukraine or Russia. Trump was expected to make remarks at the White House on Thursday.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The reports share the same central account, but Source 1 includes a Reuters file-photo caption and gives the expected White House remarks as 11am without a time zone, alongside a Singapore-time conversion. Source 2 gives the time as 1600 GMT.
Source 2 includes a related link about Oleshky residents reuniting with families and a further description of the ceasefire as an unprecedented diplomatic initiative; Source 1’s supplied text ends before that additional material.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The meeting could provide a humanitarian channel alongside the wider negotiations, helping officials address civilian protection and the return of Ukrainian children. Melania Trump’s involvement may offer a way to build on her reported work securing a local ceasefire and to keep specific human consequences in view.
The case against
A White House meeting could risk lending legitimacy or symbolic standing to Russian representatives while the war continues, without securing concrete humanitarian results. Given Kyiv’s concern that closer US ties with Vladimir Putin could weaken support for Ukraine, it may also raise fears that such engagement could soften pressure on Russia or complicate Ukraine’s position in the wider talks.
Explained simply
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, and the war has since involved fighting, international sanctions and repeated efforts to negotiate an end to it. Ukraine is seeking to defend its territory and maintain support from allies, including the United States.
The United States has provided Ukraine with military and other assistance, while President Donald Trump has also pursued direct engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Melania Trump has taken part in humanitarian efforts connected to the war, including work to help return Ukrainian children taken to Russia.
Russia and Ukraine have different accounts of the conflict and its terms, and past attempts to reach a settlement have not ended the fighting. The level and form of US support, and the conditions any agreement might set, matter to both countries and to wider European security.
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Originally published by CNA as “US first lady to host Ukrainian, Russian officials at White House”.