Melania Trump calls for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine at the White House

First Lady of the United States Melania Trump called on Thursday for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine during a conference held at the White House, days after the conclusion of a ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, which is under Russian forces’ occupation.

Melania Trump said the experience of the ceasefire in Oleshky must be used to find common ground and protect civilians affected by the war. “Together we can build something more lasting than a mere temporary ceasefire,” she said. The first lady added that participants had chosen “humanity over war.”

The notable feature of the Washington meeting was the participation at the same event of Russian, Ukrainian and American representatives. Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, was present and met with American officials, according to sources cited by Reuters.

Ukrainian lawmaker David Arahamia and Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s ombudsman, also attended the conference. The meeting marks the first direct contacts between Russian and American officials since the midterm elections, after which Democrats took control of the Senate and House of Representatives, in a political setback for President Donald Trump.