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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olha, 1st Class, following a ceasefire in the Oleshky region of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded US First Lady Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olha, 1st Class, according to a presidential decree. The award, which is Ukraine's highest honor for women, recognizes individuals for exceptional contributions in areas such as science, education, culture, and charitable work.
The decree, dated November 2, cited Melania Trump's "significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine" and her work regarding Ukrainian children affected by the war. In 2025, she stated that an "open channel of communication" had been established with Russian President Vladimir Putin to help reunite displaced Ukrainian children with their families. This follows reports from the UN stating that the deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity. According to Ukraine, nearly 20,000 children have been illegally sent to Russia and Belarus since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Melania Trump is credited with brokering a six-day ceasefire in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky. The White House stated that she "independently initiated engagement between the two warring nations and successfully secured a ceasefire," adding that "this achievement marks an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American First Lady."
During the ceasefire, which lasted from Tuesday to Sunday, nearly 800 people were evacuated from the city, according to Melania Trump. She previously described the situation in the town as dire, stating, "Oleshky is a frontline war city on the brink of disaster" and noting that the population consisted primarily of elderly residents in need of medicine, food, and clean water.
On Thursday, Melania Trump will host representatives from both Russia and Ukraine at the White House. The White House described the event as an "extraordinary moment in American history." Melania Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks on the Oleshky ceasefire at 11:00 (16:00 GMT).
The delegations include:
Lubinets and Lantratova previously traveled together into Oleshky last week. Arakhamia, who heads Zelenskyy's party in parliament, was responsible for informal contact between the White House and Moscow during the ceasefire, according to diplomatic sources quoted by Ukrainian media.
In addition to the White House meeting, US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Monday that Russian, Ukrainian, and American representatives are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi next week. This will be the first trilateral meeting since February, with talks expected to focus on de-escalation and postwar security agreements.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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