𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

First lady Melania Trump expressed hope that a humanitarian ceasefire around a city in Ukraine would inspire progress toward a “more enduring” peace, as she hosted representatives from Russia and Ukraine at the White House on Thursday.

The unprecedented meeting came as the Trump administration pushes for progress in broader peace negotiations, with the United States set to lead renewed trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine in the United Arab Emirates next week.

Speaking at the White House, the first lady expressed hope that the six-day ceasefire around Oleshky would inspire a peace “more enduring than a temporary ceasefire,” before praising the “highly cooperative” Russian and Ukrainian leaders for helping bring about the pause.

Melania Trump was joined by Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, who thanked her on behalf of the Russian leader. “This humanitarian mission shows what can be achieved when compassion, determination and cooperation come together,” he said.

Russia has repeatedly rejected calls for a wider ceasefire since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly five years ago.

The limited ceasefire around Oleshky, which started Oct. 27 and lasted six days, allowed for the evacuation of hundreds of people trapped by fighting, blockades and extensive minefields, via neighboring Belarus. The city in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region was home to 2,000 remaining residents on the brink of starvation.

Both sides held fire throughout the truce, making it the largest de-escalation effort since the war began.

Urging the first lady to keep going with her mission, David Arakhamia, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s ruling faction in Ukraine’s parliament, said he hoped the deal would create momentum “to actually keep the peace when the peace comes.”

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliamentary commissioner for human rights, then presented Melania Trump with Ukraine’s highest state honor, the Order of Princess Olga, 1st Class.

Melania Trump then gave Dmitriev and Arakhamia personal letters to deliver to Putin and Zelenskyy.

She did not respond to shouted questions from NBC News.