Melania Trump was scheduled to meet Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House on Thursday, Nov. 5, for a meeting focused on the local ceasefire in Oleshky and humanitarian efforts. The White House announced the gathering, but the available information does not confirm whether it took place.
Russia’s international economic cooperation adviser Kirill Dmitriev and human rights ombudsman Yana Lantratova were expected to attend, according to Russian state news agency TASS, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said he was travelling to Washington for meetings with the first lady.
The White House said Melania Trump would bring representatives of the two countries together and was due to make remarks at 11 a.m. Eastern time. The announcement centered on Oleshky, in the occupied part of Ukraine’s Kherson region; it did not describe the meeting as formal peace negotiations.
Oleshky ceasefire had ended
The temporary truce in Oleshky had expired on Nov. 1, according to reporting by Le Monde. The pause allowed humanitarian supplies to enter and residents to leave, but it was limited to the area and did not amount to a wider halt in the war.
Separate trilateral talks involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine were expected in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10 and 11, Axios reported. Those discussions are distinct from the White House meeting, which was announced in connection with the Oleshky ceasefire and humanitarian efforts.