- Published
US First Lady Melania Trump called for a "more enduring" ceasefire in Ukraine as she welcomed Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the White House following last week's truce in the southern region of Kherson.
asserted
she → publish → Kherson
Hundreds of residents of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky facing starvation and constant bombardment were able to evacuate during a six-day ceasefire, which both Moscow and Kyiv credited Trump with brokering.
"
asserted
Moscow → occupy → Trump
The lives of innocent people must transcend the division of war.
asserted
lives → transcend → war
I hope Oleshky inspires greater peace," she said.
asserted
she → hope → peace
The unusual White House event saw senior Ukrainian and Russian officials meet away from the setting of official US-brokered peace talks they have been holding without success since last year.
asserted
they → see → year
The delegations were made up of Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and his Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova, as well as Ukrainian MP Davyd Arakhamia and Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Melania Trump was credited by all for playing a key though unspecified role in the ceasefire, and all parties conveyed to her the gratitude of the Russian and Ukrainian presidents.
asserted
parties → make → presidents
The US first lady said she had "reviewed demining plans, aerial images, assessed roadways, and discussed evacuation routes, hospital access, vehicles, and medical resources" during the truce.
asserted
she → say → truce
"Last week in Oleshky and neighbouring areas of Kherson, people experienced the simple joys of life for the first time since 2022," Trump said.
asserted
Trump → experience → 2022
"They walked down familiar streets without fear of explosions.
asserted
They → walk → explosions
"
She thanked both Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, making no reference to the origins of the war, which began when the Russian president launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and which has caused thousands of civilian casualties and the displacement of millions.
asserted
which → thank → millions
Dmitriev, a businessman and Kremlin special envoy who has previously represented Moscow during peace talks with Ukraine, thanked Trump for "saving and touching so many lives".
asserted
who → represent → lives
"Let us continue making a humanitarian contribution together; this is within our power," Dmitriev said, before gifting Melania Trump a framed drawing by an 11-year-old Oleshky evacuee.
asserted
Dmitriev → let → evacuee
He also praised Trump for her work on reuniting children separated from their families by the war.
asserted
He → praise → war
These include children allegedly abducted by Russia.
uncertain
These → include → Russia
Arakhamia, a Ukrainian MP who heads Zelensky's party in parliament who has also been part of the Ukrainian negotiating team, said the Oleshky ceasefire had constituted the "biggest de-escalation since 2022".
"We are creating a momentum where both sides are learning the… mechanics of how to actually keep the peace when the peace comes," he added.
asserted
he → head → peace
He acknowledged that the "political track" of negotiations to end the conflict was "complex" but said Ukrainians were asking Melania Trump "to keep going and find new missions and de-escalate more."
asserted
Ukrainians → acknowledge → more
At the end of the event, Trump handed Dmitriev and Arakhamia two letters to be hand-delivered to their respective presidents.
asserted
Trump → hand → presidents
The White House later said Melania Trump had invited her guests to view two historic artifacts which she had "personally selected as powerful symbols of peace".
asserted
she → say → peace
One was an 18th Century medicine chest which was removed from the White House when the British set it on fire in 1812.
asserted
British → remove → 1812
"Once adversaries, the United States and Great Britain ultimately established a strong alliance," the White House said.
asserted
House → establish → alliance
The second artifact was a cup gifted in 1899 to the French ambassador in recognition of his efforts to bring the Spanish-American war to an end.
asserted
artifact → gift → end
Melania Trump has generally remained discreet on foreign policy matters, and neither Moscow nor Kyiv have elaborated on the nature or extent of her involvement in coordinating the delicate ceasefire - the most enduring and widespread of the war so far.
asserted
Moscow → remain → war
A source who works in the local government of the Kherson region told the BBC that work on the Oleshky evacuation had been ongoing for almost a year.
asserted
work → work → year
However, the source said, "at a certain point other individuals became involved, seemingly after most of the groundwork had already been laid and subsequently began taking credit for the progress that had been made.
asserted
that → say → progress
It was difficult to determine exactly who had played what role and at which stage of the process, the source acknowledged, adding that "those who had been directly involved in the negotiations for nearly a year were eventually prohibited from communicating publicly about the matter."
asserted
who → determine → matter
Speaking after the meeting in the White House had taken place, President Zelensky said the success of the Oleshky ceasefire "had proved a very simple thing: when Putin wants the fighting to stop, it stops."
asserted
it → speak → thing
"The same applies to our people who are held in Russian captivity.
asserted
who → apply → captivity
When Putin wants, they go home."
asserted
they → want → ?
A source close to American officials shared a similar assessment, implying to the BBC that despite the outward praise, "the person who made [the ceasefire] possible, whether we like it or not, is essentially Putin."
asserted
we → share → it
"And this was done in order to pass the ball to [Donald] Trump... so that it would have some positive effect for his midterm elections.
asserted
it → do → elections
"
There has been no change whatsoever in Russia's position, Ukrainian political analyst Dmytro Levus told the BBC.
asserted
Levus → tell → BBC
Moscow "agreed to it because there was pressure from the American side...
asserted
Moscow → agree → side
In doing so, the Russians confirmed Zelenskyy's words that, when necessary, it turns out Russia can quickly stop firing and even maintain that ceasefire.
asserted
Russia → do → ceasefire
As the frontline region of Kherson experienced its first six days of peace in several years, the rest of Ukraine continued to come under Russian attack.
asserted
rest → experience → attack
This week, several drone and missile attacks killed and injured civilians across the country.
asserted
attacks → kill → country
On Monday alone, more than 40 people were killed in a single Russian strike on an aid distribution centre in the region of Zaporizhzhia.
asserted
people → kill → Zaporizhzhia
More are thought to still be buried under the rubble.
asserted
More → think → rubble
The Aporia
