War in Ukraine: Melania Trump organizes Russian-Ukrainian meeting ahead of Abu Dhabi talks

Melania Trump is due to receive Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House on Thursday, less than a week from talks in Abu Dhabi under American mediation to try to find a solution to the conflict in Ukraine. Two days after the scathing electoral setback suffered by Donald Trump in the face of very critical Democrats concerning his recent rapprochement with Vladimir Putin, the American first lady must speak to the media on the humanitarian consequences of the Russian invasion.

She must mention the recent truce which allowed the evacuation of an occupied Ukrainian town, Olechky, in the grip of serious shortages, and for which she had worked. On this occasion, she is due to receive Ukrainian and Russian representatives, in particular the respective human rights mediators from kyiv and Moscow, Dmytro Loubinets and Iana Lantratova, involved in this ceasefire.

kyiv prepares negotiations with Washington

Rarely, the latter had been respected by the two belligerents, allowing the clearance of roads and the departure of inhabitants who wished to do so towards Ukraine or Russia and the territories under its control. According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov, quoted by Russian agencies, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev will also be present in Washington “if logistics permit”.

The visit of this advisor responsible for international economic cooperation, if confirmed, comes as Donald Trump has moved closer to Moscow by concluding an agreement on deliveries of Russian diesel and exempting Russia from new sanctions on its energy sector. Before this meeting, Volodymyr Zelensky awarded a decoration to Melania Trump on Wednesday for her “personal contribution to humanitarian aid”.

The Ukrainian president, who seeks to maintain the support of Washington despite delicate relations with the Republican president, spoke with White House emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Wednesday, the day after the mid-term elections. “We had a very detailed conversation, lasting an hour and a half” focused on the preparation of the Abu Dhabi talks on November 10 and 11 between Ukrainian, Russian and American representatives, Mr. Zelensky said on the X platform.

“More pressure”

The Ukrainian leader, who is to be received Thursday in Madrid by the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, insisted that his country was “ready to take the necessary measures” with a view to ending the conflict which has raged for almost five years. “We are working hard with all parties to find a path leading to lasting peace,” responded Mr. Kushner on the same platform. “We are focusing our efforts not only on the objective of putting an end to this terrible war but also on a security architecture necessary so that it never resumes once hostilities are over,” detailed Mr. Trump's son-in-law.

In addition to the Abu Dhabi talks - the first in this format since mid-February - meetings are being held on Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels between representatives of Ukraine, the European Union, the United Kingdom, NATO and the United States. Wednesday's meeting focused on “post-war reconstruction” and was “substantial,” Mr. Zelensky said Wednesday evening, adding that Thursday's meeting would be devoted to “security guarantees for Ukraine.” He repeatedly asks his allies to increase their assistance in terms of anti-aircraft defense, to counter very intense Russian bombings, particularly against its energy infrastructure as winter approaches.