White House hosts Ukraine and Russia for Oleshky truce

First Lady Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House on Wednesday to mark a temporary ceasefire in southeastern Ukraine. The gathering recognized a six-day pause in fighting around the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. The reprieve expired on Sunday but allowed humanitarian aid to reach the area and enabled the evacuation of hundreds of residents.

Kirill Dmitriev, the special envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, attended the event and thanked the First Lady. He stated that Putin personally instructed officials to ensure the ceasefire was implemented successfully. Dmitriev said he was thanking Mrs. Trump on behalf of the Russian Federation for her role in resolving the humanitarian issue.

Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets presented Mrs. Trump with the Order of Princess Olha, First Class. This is Ukraine’s highest award for women. Lubinets asked her to continue her humanitarian work and support the people of Ukraine.

President Donald Trump also met with Dmitriev at the White House. The president told reporters that the two sides are close to reaching a larger deal. He described the potential agreement as big and beautiful, suggesting it might involve all of Europe.

The ceremony comes just days before the U.S. leads a new round of peace talks in Abu Dhabi next week. Heather Conley, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who worked on European issues during the George W. Bush administration, offered a different perspective. Conley argued that honoring Russia for allowing aid into a city it occupied could normalize bad behavior. She warned against creating an equivalency between the two sides in the crisis.