Melania Trump urges 'humanity over war' at meeting with Putin envoy and Ukraine officials at White House

Melania Trump urges 'humanity over war' at meeting with Putin envoy and Ukraine officials at White House In the weeks leading up to the event, Trump had sharpened his public critiques of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Melania Trump hosted delegates from both Ukraine and Russia on Thursday to mark a recent six-day truce in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky that she assisted in negotiating. The gathering comes amid an intensified push by the US administration to resolve the war triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Officials from the US, Russia, and Ukraine are slated to hold three-way talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11. "We have chosen humanity over war," the first lady said at the event. "We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people," she added. Among those present was Kirill Dmitriev, special envoy to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who held discussions with US representatives during his visit, according to two individuals familiar with the matter. Ukraine was represented at the gathering by lawmaker David Arakhamia and Dmytro Lubinets, who serves as the nation's human rights ombudsman. This event marked the initial face-to-face interaction between American and Russian officials following Tuesday’s midterm elections, which saw Democrats wrest control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives from Republicans, delivering a setback to President Trump. When the new Democratic congressional majority assumes power in January, lawmakers are widely anticipated to press for increased assistance to Ukraine while scrutinizing several measures taken by the Republican Trump administration, including sanction relief and a diesel agreement reached with Russia. In the weeks leading up to the event, Trump had sharpened his public critiques of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Moscow stated it remains hopeful that Trump will persist with his diplomatic efforts regardless of the Republican electoral defeat. According to the Kremlin, preparations are currently underway for a trilateral meeting involving Putin, Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, set for November 18 to 19. Dmitriev previously held talks at the White House with Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, in 2025. In contrast, Joe Biden, Trump's predecessor, hosted no Russian officials at the executive mansion. Dmitriev has played a key role in negotiating the return of American prisoners held in Russia, coordinating the return of Ukrainian children to their families, and supporting humanitarian actions in Oleshky. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments [Image text:] LLOV MELANIA