Melania Trump to meet Ukrainian, Russian representatives at White House this week

By Chang Dong-woo

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- U.S. First Lady Melania Trump will bring representatives of Ukraine and Russia together at the White House later this week, following a ceasefire in southern Ukraine that her office says she helped secure, the White House said Tuesday.

The first lady will meet representatives of the two countries, which have been at war since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, at the White House on Thursday, according to a statement from the Office of the First Lady.

"First Lady Melania Trump will personally bring representatives of Russia and Ukraine, two nations actively at war, together at the White House," the office said in a statement. It did not identify the representatives.

According to the office, the first lady independently initiated engagement between the two countries and successfully secured a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region in southern Ukraine.

She is scheduled to deliver remarks on the ceasefire at the White House at 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the release.

According to the White House, the first lady and her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to negotiate the terms of the agreement, including the timing, procedures and implementation, with Melania Trump serving as an "Exclusive Intermediary."

The ceasefire, which began on Oct. 27, lasted six days, according to foreign media reports.

The arrangement allowed civilian representatives from both countries to visit residents to assess their humanitarian needs and coordinate transportation for those wishing to evacuate, including to destinations in either Russia or Ukraine.

odissy@yna.co.kr
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