Trump predicts Ukraine deal after private talks with Putin envoy
The president met with Kirill Dmitriev at the White House on Thursday, coinciding with a ceasefire ceremony for the city of Oleshky.
By Amelia Gupta ·
President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he held a private meeting with Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump told reporters he expects a resolution to the war in Ukraine to arrive soon. He declined to share specific details of their conversation but suggested a potential settlement could extend to cover all of Europe. The president noted he did not meet with the Ukrainian delegation present at the White House.
The meeting occurred during an event organized by First Lady Melania Trump. The gathering marked a six-day ceasefire in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky. This truce, which Melania Trump helped negotiate, expired on Sunday. She stated her involvement included reviewing aerial images, road conditions, and hospital access. She told the assembled delegates, “We have chosen humanity over war.”
Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia and human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets attended the ceremony. They encouraged the first lady to continue her peace efforts. Both delegations exchanged gifts. Dmitriev presented a drawing of pink hearts from a girl in Oleshky who chose to live with her family in Russia. The Ukrainian representatives gave Melania Trump a state award for her efforts to save people and secure the return of Ukrainian children. She gave letters for Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to the respective delegations.
Jared Kushner, a Trump envoy, separately reported progress in talks held in Brussels on Thursday. In a social media post, he described US meetings with Ukraine, NATO, and European partners as productive and substantive. The discussions focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and a wider European security framework. Kushner listed five goals: ongoing security consultations, reliable crisis communication, increased military transparency, reciprocal steps to limit escalation, and a lasting structure for European stability. He said any arrangement must preserve national sovereignty and independent security decisions. He added that no nation would gain a veto over another country's choices and that NATO would keep its central role in collective defense.
This visit was the first face-to-face contact between Russian and US officials since Tuesday's midterm elections. Democrats took control of Congress from Republicans in that vote. The incoming Democratic majority begins work in January and is expected to seek more assistance for Ukraine. They are also likely to scrutinize Trump's diesel agreement with Russia and his easing of some sanctions on Moscow. Trump has increased his criticism of Zelenskiy in recent weeks.
The Kremlin expressed hope that Trump will maintain his peace efforts despite the Republican electoral defeat. It said preparations were underway for a meeting between Putin, Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen this month. Dmitriev previously visited the White House in 2025 to talk with special envoy Steve Witkoff. Joe Biden, Trump's predecessor, did not invite Russian officials to the White House. A US delegation is scheduled to mediate Russian-Ukrainian talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.
