By Basant El-Faramawy
First lady Melania Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Ukrainian officials at the White House on Thursday to recognize a recent six-day ceasefire in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky that she helped broker.
Ceasefire and humanitarian efforts
The event celebrated a temporary halt in fighting that began after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. “We have chosen humanity over war,” Trump said. “We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people.”
Attendees and upcoming talks
Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia and human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets also attended. A trilateral meeting involving U.S., Ukrainian and Russian officials is scheduled for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi.
Political backdrop
The gathering marked the first in-person contact between Russian and U.S. officials since Tuesday’s midterm elections, in which Democrats gained control of the Senate and House. The incoming Democratic majority is expected to push for increased aid to Ukraine and scrutinize administration decisions such as a diesel deal with Russia and sanctions relief.
Kremlin outlook
The Kremlin said it hopes Trump will continue peacemaking efforts despite the Republican defeat and confirmed preparations for a meeting between Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19.
