US first lady to host Ukrainian, Russian officials at White House

Melania Trump, First Lady of the United States, is set to host officials from Moscow and Kyiv at the White House on Thursday. The meeting precedes talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict, which has now entered its fifth year. The recent reconciliation between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has sparked optimism that the United States may support Ukraine.

Kirill Dmitriev, Russia's advisor for international economic cooperation, and Yana Lantratova, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, are scheduled to meet Melania Trump, provided logistical arrangements are in place. Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets also plans to meet with the First Lady in Washington. Lubinets expressed his intent to convey a single message to Melania Trump, which he detailed on Facebook.

The meeting will bring together representatives of Russia and Ukraine, two nations engaged in a war, at the White House. The talks come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had conversations with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ahead of the Abu Dhabi meeting, the first of its kind since February. Zelenskyy recently awarded Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, for her role in brokering a ceasefire that led to the evacuation of civilians from a Russian-occupied town.

The First Lady's office acknowledged her significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine and her active human rights and charitable work. Melania Trump had initiated engagement to secure a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region, allowing residents to evacuate during a rare halt in fighting. The First Lady is scheduled to speak at 11:00 am (1700 GMT) Thursday at the White House.