Melania Trump steps Into Ukraine peace efforts with White House meeting

Russia has confirmed that peace talks involving Ukraine and the United States will take place in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on November 10 and 11.

The announcement came as US First Lady,  Melania Trump prepares to host Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House to discuss a local ceasefire in Ukraine’s Kherson region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky, will lead Moscow’s delegation at the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

The meeting is expected to focus on security arrangements, reducing fighting and humanitarian issues.

Meanwhile, Melania Trump will host a separate meeting on Thursday to discuss the ceasefire in Oleshky and surrounding areas in the Kherson region.

The six-day ceasefire, which allowed residents to leave the area safely, ended on Monday. The White House said the first lady helped broker the agreement.

However, Ukraine accused Russia of using the ceasefire to strengthen its military positions in the city.

The White House described Thursday’s meeting as an “extraordinary moment in American history” but did not disclose the names of the Russian and Ukrainian representatives expected to attend.

Melania Trump is also expected to speak about the ceasefire at 11 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday.

Separately, Russia has expressed hope that plans for a meeting involving Putin, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be finalised in the coming days.

Earlier reports suggested that the three countries could discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy taking part.

However, Zelenskyy has insisted that Ukraine must be involved in any negotiations concerning its future.

“Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” he said on October 20, stressing that Kyiv must be represented at the negotiating table.

Tensions between the United States and Ukraine have increased in recent weeks as Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange attacks, including strikes on civilian areas and energy facilities.

Recent decisions by the Trump administration have also raised concerns about Washington’s continued support for Kyiv.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Monday that Washington would mediate the peace talks scheduled for November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi.

He added that US officials would meet European and NATO representatives in Brussels this week to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine after the war and plans to rebuild the country.