First lady Melania Trump called a meeting with Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House ahead of upcoming peace talks in Abu Dhabi. (Foto: Instagram)
First Lady Melania Trump called a meeting with representatives of Russia and Ukraine for Thursday, Nov. 5, at the White House. The meeting is scheduled before peace talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the war between the two countries.
The White House said Melania Trump had independently opened a dialogue between the two nations and helped secure a one-week ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region. The statement described the effort as an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American first lady.
Dmitro Lubinets and Yana Lantratova, human rights representatives for Kyiv and Moscow, have met previously, most recently during last week’s ceasefire in Oleshky. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, who specializes in economic issues, would also attend if logistics allowed, according to local news agencies.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded Melania Trump a distinction for her personal contribution to humanitarian aid. The meeting at the White House comes ahead of a new round of Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, which the United States is mediating.
The talks are scheduled for Nov. 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced the plans this week and said discussions would cover postwar security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts and next steps toward peace.
Before the Abu Dhabi meetings, U.S. negotiators are expected to meet this week with representatives of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
