US First Lady Melania Trump is set to host Ukrainian and Russian officials at the White House as diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine continue ahead of planned negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
The meeting, scheduled for Thursday, will bring representatives from both countries together in Washington. It comes at a sensitive moment in the conflict, with Russia’s full-scale invasion entering its fifth year and renewed diplomatic contacts raising expectations of progress towards a possible settlement.
According to Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency, Moscow plans to send Kirill Dmitriev, an adviser on international economic cooperation, and Yana Lantratova, Russia’s human rights ombudsman, to meet the first lady. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the meeting would take place provided the necessary logistical arrangements were completed.
Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, also confirmed that he was travelling to Washington for discussions with Melania Trump. In a message published on Facebook on Wednesday, Lubinets invited Ukrainians to share what they would like him to communicate to the US first lady.
Melania Trump’s office had earlier confirmed that she intended to bring representatives of Russia and Ukraine together at the White House, describing the gathering as an opportunity for officials from the two countries, which remain at war, to meet directly.
The planned meeting comes ahead of negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi. It follows discussions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Zelenskyy described his conversations with the American representatives as detailed and lasting around an hour and a half.
The upcoming Abu Dhabi meeting is expected to bring the three sides together for talks for the first time since February, adding to diplomatic efforts to find a way forward in the conflict. However, questions remain over the direction of US policy towards Ukraine, particularly following the recent improvement in relations between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Melania Trump’s involvement in the diplomatic process has also attracted attention following her reported role in securing a temporary ceasefire around Oleshky, a town in the Russian-occupied Kherson region of southern Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy awarded her the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, in recognition of her humanitarian work and efforts to support Ukraine. The Ukrainian presidential decree cited her contribution to humanitarian assistance, human rights and charitable activities.
The honour follows an announcement by the first lady last month concerning a localised ceasefire between Ukrainian and Russian forces. The temporary halt in fighting was intended to allow civilians in Oleshky to leave the area after weeks of shortages of food and medicine.
We just had a very detailed, hour-and-a-half-long conversation with Steve Witkoff @SEPeaceMissions and Jared Kushner @jaredkushner. We are preparing for a trilateral format at the team level between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia – to take place in less than a week.
Today, there was also a substantive meeting in Brussels involving our team, teams from America, the EU, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, NATO, the World Bank, and representatives of the global business community. The meeting focused on postwar recovery. There will be another meeting in Brussels tomorrow on security guarantees for Ukraine. The negotiations must move forward at full throttle to bring this war to an end as quickly as possible. Ukraine is ready to take the necessary steps. Our proposals are clear, and we have given them to the American side.
Air defense is an important priority, and we discussed this as well. We need interceptors for Patriot systems to protect lives from Russian attacks. We must also continue working on each of the bilateral tracks with America. This applies to the Drone Deal format in particular. Ukraine is grateful to the United States for its support for Ukraine’s independence, our people, and diplomatic efforts. Peace has no alternative, and postwar security guarantees must be truly cast-iron. We are working to make this happen! Glory to Ukraine!
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 4, 2026
According to her office, Melania Trump independently initiated contact to help secure the arrangement. The ceasefire was respected by both sides, allowing roads to be cleared of mines and residents to leave for either Ukrainian- or Russian-controlled territory.
Her office described the arrangement as an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American first lady. While the agreement was limited to a specific area and humanitarian purpose, it provided an opportunity for civilians to escape conditions created by the ongoing fighting.
The first lady has also been involved in efforts to secure the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia, another humanitarian issue that has remained part of discussions surrounding the war.
Melania Trump is expected to speak at the White House at 11:00 am on Thursday (1700 GMT), ahead of the planned meeting with the Ukrainian and Russian representatives. Her engagement adds a separate humanitarian dimension to the wider diplomatic efforts being pursued by Washington, Kyiv and Moscow.
