Lubinets announces new legal protections for Ukrainians under Russian occupation

Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets announced the establishment of new legal protections for Ukrainians residing in Russian-occupied territories. This revelation came after a meeting with U.S. First Lady Melania Trump at the White House on November 5. The specifics of the protection mechanism are expected to be disclosed in due time. "I am confident that we have put in place a new mechanism to safeguard the rights of Ukrainian citizens residing in areas we currently do not have control over," stated Lubinets.

The meeting also delved into the continuation of humanitarian endeavors aimed at repatriating Ukrainian nationals who are either in Russia or within Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories. Lubinets emphasized the importance of the results from a humanitarian mission to Oleshky, located in Kherson Oblast. He believed that these findings were crucial for the effective protection of Ukrainians' rights.

Lubinets further noted that the Ukrainian delegation continued its efforts in Washington and had scheduled additional meetings. He expressed the entire delegation's commitment to achieving tangible results. On November 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recognized Melania Trump's efforts in evacuating people from the occupied city by awarding her the Order of Princess Olga, First Class.

During a White House reception for both Ukrainian and Russian delegations, Lubinets presented her with this order. Melania Trump also penned personal letters to Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.