Who is coming to the White House

Melania Trump's office said she would personally bring representatives of Russia and Ukraine, two nations actively at war, together at the White House, with remarks expected at 11:00 am (1600 GMT) Thursday.

From the Russian side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said adviser for international economic cooperation Kirill Dmitriev and human rights ombudsman Yana Lantratova plan to meet the first lady on Thursday, provided logistics work out, according to TASS.

• •Kirill Dmitriev, Russia's adviser for international economic cooperation
• •Yana Lantratova, Russia's human rights ombudsman
• •Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, who announced the Washington meeting himself

Lubinets asked Ukrainians on Facebook on Wednesday: "If you could convey a single message to U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, what would you say to her?"

Order of Princess Olga for the first lady

On Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, for her role in brokering a partial ceasefire that let civilians evacuate a Russian-occupied town. The decree cited her significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine and her active human rights and charitable work.

The Oleshky ceasefire behind the meeting

Her office said Mrs. Trump independently initiated engagement to secure a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region. She announced the localized truce last month so residents of Oleshky, on the southern front, could leave after weeks of shortages of food and medicine.

The halt in fighting held, with both sides respecting it, roads demined and residents free to depart for either Ukraine or Russia. In a statement issued Tuesday, her office called it "an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American First Lady".

Abu Dhabi talks next

The White House meeting gives way next week to talks in Abu Dhabi, which Zelensky said will be the first between all three sides since February. Zelensky described very detailed, hour-and-a-half-long conversations with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ahead of the meeting. Melania Trump has also been involved in efforts to return Ukrainian children taken to Russia.

The gathering comes as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine grinds through its fifth year, and amid a rapprochement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin that has raised concerns the US could turn its back on Kyiv.