On 5 November, US First Lady Melania Trump hosted a meeting between representatives of Ukraine and Russia at the White House. The Ukrainian side was represented by Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada’s Commissioner for Human Rights, and Davyd Arakhamia, leader of the «Servant of the People» parliamentary faction. Russia announced that Vladimir Putin’s Special Representative Kirill Dmitriev and Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova would be attending. The main topic of discussion was the humanitarian operation in the occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region, carried out through the mediation of the US First Lady.
Briefly about the main points
- Melania Trump organised a meeting between Ukrainian and Russian representatives at the White House.
- Ukraine is represented by Dmytro Lubinets and Davyd Arakhamia, whilst Russia is represented by Lantratova and Dmitriev.
- The main topic of the discussions was the humanitarian operation in the occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region.
- According to US figures, the temporary ceasefire enabled the evacuation of around 800 civilians.
- The meeting is taking place on the eve of the planned trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.
Representatives from Ukraine and Russia gathered at the White House
The US administration announced the organisation of the meeting on 3 November. The White House stated that Melania Trump personally brought representatives of both countries together to discuss humanitarian issues.
The Ukrainian delegation is represented by Dmytro Lubinets and David Arahamia. Ukrainian media sources confirmed their participation the day before.
On 4 November, Lubinets announced that he had travelled to Washington for a series of important meetings. Before his trip, he also asked Ukrainians to share any messages they would like to convey to the First Lady of the United States.
The Russian side is represented by Kirill Dmitriev, who heads the Russian Direct Investment Fund and is responsible for the Kremlin’s international economic negotiations, and Yana Lantratova, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation.
A Kremlin spokesperson confirmed their involvement Dmitry Peskov. According to him, the Russian representatives were granted US visas.
Separately, the White House announced a speech by Melania Trump on the subject of humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky.
Melania Trump handed over letters to Zelenskyy and Putin
During a meeting with representatives from Ukraine and Russia at the White House, the US First Lady, Melania Trump, wrote personal letters to the President of Ukraine To Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Russian leader To Vladimir Putin. According to reports on the outcome of the talks, the letters are to be delivered to their recipients by Davyd Arakhamia, leader of the «Servant of the People» parliamentary group, and Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s special representative. The contents of the letters have not yet been disclosed.
The Ukrainian delegation presented Melania Trump with Order of Princess Olga, 1st Class, which Zelenskyy awarded her for her contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine and her help in securing the return of children who had been unlawfully deported by Russia.
At the same time, Dmitriev presented the US First Lady with a drawing which the Russian side described as the work of 11-year-old Lydia from the occupied town of Oleshky. According to Russian representatives, the girl has moved to the Russian Federation. The drawing bears the inscription «I LOVE MELANIA». There is currently no independent confirmation of the circumstances surrounding the child’s stay in Russia.
The main topic of the meeting was the humanitarian operation in Oleshky
The talks are taking place following a temporary ceasefire in the area around the occupied town of Oleshky on the left bank of the Kherson region.
In October, the White House announced that agreements had been reached between Ukraine and Russia on a local ceasefire, necessary for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians.
According to the US administration, Melania Trump initiated the mediation, and representatives from both countries coordinated matters relating to safe passage, demining and the transport of people.
The humanitarian operation lasted almost six days — from 27 October to 1 November.
According to the figures released, around 800 civilians have been successfully evacuated from the danger zone.
Representatives from Ukraine and Russia, including human rights commissioners, were involved in coordinating the work.
The operation took place against the backdrop of a difficult humanitarian situation in the occupied town. Following the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station and prolonged hostilities, the population of Oleshky faced shortages of water, food and medicines, as well as difficulties in accessing medical care.
Melania Trump had previously been involved in the repatriation of Ukrainian children
The meeting in Washington was a continuation of the humanitarian contacts that the US First Lady maintains with the Ukrainian and Russian sides.
Throughout 2026, her office repeatedly reported on its efforts to help reunite children with their families, who had been separated by the war.
In August, the White House stated that, with Melania Trump’s involvement, 34 children had been reunited with their families.
At the same time, Ukraine continues to press for the return of children, who have been unlawfully deported or forcibly displaced by Russia from the occupied Ukrainian territories.
According to the President’s latest remarks Vladimir Zelensky, Ukraine has already managed to bring back 2,790 children out of more than 20,000 whose unlawful removal has been reported by the Ukrainian authorities.
On 2 November, Zelenskyy awarded Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, for her involvement in humanitarian initiatives.
The meeting took place on the eve of a new round of talks
The visit by Ukrainian and Russian representatives to the White House comes ahead of the trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US and Russia, scheduled for 10–11 November in Abu Dhabi.
The US is working to re-establish diplomatic contacts with a view to finding ways to end the war.
Kirill Dmitriev had previously been involved in discussions with representatives of Donald Trump’s administration on economic and political issues.
At the same time, the meeting organised by Melania Trump is primarily of a humanitarian nature. The White House has not stated that the participants have been tasked with conducting full-scale negotiations to end the war or agreeing the terms of a peace deal.
As of the time of writing, there is no information available regarding any new agreements reached following the meeting.
