// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Melania Trump calls for lasting Ukraine truce as she hosts Russian and Ukrainian officials
Watch: US First Lady Melania Trump given Ukraine's highest award for women
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.
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.
"The lives of innocent people must transcend the division of war. I hope Oleshky inspires greater peace," she said.
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.
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.
Melania Trump handed Dmitriev and Arakhamia "personal letters" for their respective 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.
"Last week in Oleshky and neighbouring areas of Kherson, people experienced the simple joys of life for the first time since 2022," Trump said. "They walked down familiar streets without fear of explosions."