Melania Trump Hints at Possible Visit to Ukraine
US First Lady Melania Trump answered "We'll see" when asked whether she would travel to Ukraine. She announced a ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky, though calls by Pope Leo to both presidents have raised questions about her role.
US First Lady Melania Trump has suggested she might make a personal trip to Ukraine. Asked by the New York Post whether she would visit the country, which has been fighting a Russian invasion for more than three years, she replied: "We'll see." Her husband, US President Donald Trump, added that "it could happen." The two spoke to reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, after casting early votes in the US midterm elections.
Ceasefire in Oleshky
The first lady commented for the first time on the truce she says she secured between Russia and Ukraine for the city of Oleshky. The city is occupied by Russian forces and is suffering a humanitarian disaster. Melania Trump said that in the course of her work she had spoken with both Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "We talked. We signed an agreement," she said.
Donald Trump said his wife is doing better than his professional envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. "I think right now she is doing better than the professionals. She got a ceasefire. It concerns children, people and elderly people," he said.
Questions over the Pope's role
The White House announced the truce on 23 October. Melania Trump received international recognition for her work, but on Saturday questions arose about the role of Pope Leo, after it emerged that he too had phoned Zelensky and Putin to call for a ceasefire in Oleshky. The pontiff contacted Putin on 16 October and spoke with Zelensky three days later, a few days before the first lady's announcement.
Democrats have accused Melania Trump of taking credit for the Pope's efforts, but both Russia and Ukraine have confirmed her role in mediating the agreement.
