US First Lady Melania Trump hosted representatives of Russia and Ukraine at the White House

US first lady Melania Trump delivers remarks following a meeting with representatives from Russia and Ukraine, following the expiry of a six-day ceasefire to evacuate civilians from town of Alyoshki in the Kherson Region, at the White House in Washington, DC, US November 5, 2026
Photo: Getty Images

On November 5, US First Lady Melania Trump hosted representatives of Russia and Ukraine at the White House. The meeting followed the humanitarian operation in Alyoshki in the Kherson Region in late October.

The Kremlin sees the Russian delegation's meeting in Washington with Melania Trump, the US president's wife, and a Ukrainian delegation as a positive development, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Of course, we view the meeting positively," he said. What matters now, Peskov noted, is the continuing positive spirit and willingness to pursue humanitarian work similar to the operation in Alyoshki.

US President Donald Trump said he met privately on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy after the Russian official appeared with representatives from Ukraine at a White House event organized by US first lady Melania Trump, Reuters reports.

Trump would not disclose what he discussed with Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev but predicted a deal could emerge soon aimed at resolving the Russian war in Ukraine.

Dmitriev was among the officials at the rare face-to-face event with Ukrainian representatives at the White House to mark a six-day ceasefire that Melania Trump helped broker in the Russian-controlled city of Alyoshki. The deal expired on Sunday.

“We have chosen humanity over war,” the first lady said at the event. "We must use the courage we brought to Alyoshki to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent ⁠people."

Melania Trump said she was "involved in every stage of the planning" of the temporary ceasefire, including reviewing aerial images and assessing roadways and hospital access.

President Trump, who did not attend the event, has lauded his wife's role in the Alyoshki ceasefire, telling reporters in October that "she does better than our professionals."

Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia and Dmytro Lubinets, the country's human rights ombudsman, also attended the event. They urged Slovenian-born Melania Trump to keep up her peace efforts.

Both sides presented the first lady with thank-you gifts.

Russia’s Dmitriev gave her a drawing of pink hearts from an Alyoshki girl and said the child “chose to live with her family in Russia,” nodding to the fight over displaced ⁠Ukrainian children in Russia. "I love Melania," the drawing read.

US first lady Melania Trump receives a drawing by an 11 year-old girl evacuated from Alyoshki from Special Envoy of the President of Russia for Investment and Economic Cooperation Kirill Dmitriev
Photo: Reuters

Melania Trump handed the visiting delegations letters addressed to Putin and Zelenskiy.

The visit marked the first in-person contact between Russian and US officials since Tuesday's midterm elections, when Democrats ousted Republicans from control of Congress in a blow to Trump.

The Democratic ⁠majority in Congress starting in January is widely expected to push for more aid for Ukraine and to question the Republican president's decisions to strike a diesel deal with Russia and ease some sanctions on Moscow. Trump has increased his criticism of Zelenskiy in recent weeks.

The Kremlin has said it hopes Trump will continue his peacemaking efforts despite the Republican Party’s defeat.

It has also said preparations were under way for a meeting ⁠of Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China's southern city of Shenzhen this month.

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