Melania Trump to Host Ukraine-Russia Ceasefire Talks as Abu Dhabi Peace Conference Approaches
First Lady Melania Trump will convene Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House to discuss a local ceasefire, while Russia confirmed that U.S.-backed peace talks will be held in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11.
Russia confirmed on Tuesday that a peace conference with Ukraine and the United States will take place in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11, and indicated that a trilateral summit involving Presidents Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping is being considered. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Medinsky will lead Moscow's delegation at the Abu Dhabi talks.
The White House announced that First Lady Melania Trump will bring Russian and Ukrainian representatives to the White House on Thursday to discuss the ceasefire in the Kherson region. The meeting follows a six-day pause in hostilities in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, which the administration said was brokered by the first lady. Melania Trump is scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. ET about the ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated that any negotiations over Ukraine's future must include Kyiv, stating, "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." He previously said the proposal for a three-way meeting between the United States, China and Russia would be acceptable only if Ukraine were present at the table.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington will mediate the Abu Dhabi talks, focusing on security arrangements, de-escalation and humanitarian issues, and that U.S. negotiators will meet European and NATO officials in Brussels to discuss post-war security guarantees and reconstruction.
The Kremlin said it hopes to finalize plans for the possible trilateral meeting between the three leaders in the coming days.