Zelensky Awards US First Lady Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has awarded US First Lady Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga, First Class. Decree No. 1079/2026 was published on the Ukrainian president's website and was signed on 2 November. A separate award went to the first lady's special senior adviser, Marc Beckman. The news agency Unian.net reported the decisions.

Reason for the order

The decree says Melania Trump was honoured for a significant personal contribution to Ukraine's humanitarian support, as well as for active human rights and charity work. This work is aimed at rescuing Ukrainian children and civilians affected by Russian aggression, including helping people who were unlawfully deported or forcibly moved from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

Beckman's award

Under a different decree, No. 1084/2026, Zelensky gave Beckman the Ukrainian presidential award "Golden Heart". It recognises his personal contribution to providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians and his support for efforts to rescue and evacuate civilians from occupied territories.

Earlier developments

The source states that, through Melania Trump's mediation, Ukraine and Russia agreed to a temporary ceasefire around Oleshky in the Kherson region so that civilians could be evacuated. It was later announced that the first lady would personally bring Ukrainian and Russian representatives together for a meeting at the White House. She plans to make a statement on 5 November about the ceasefire arrangements that have been reached.

The initiative is Melania Trump's personal diplomatic project. According to the source, she herself initiated contacts between representatives of the two warring countries and helped bring about the agreement on humanitarian aid.