WASHINGTON: US first lady Melania Trump brought Russian and Ukrainian officials together at the White House on Thursday and urged both sides to choose “humanity over war” ahead of talks next week in Abu Dhabi. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev was among the officials at the rare face-to-face event with Ukrainian representatives, staged to mark a six-day ceasefire that Melania Trump helped broker in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky. The deal expired on Sunday. President Donald Trump’s administration is ramping up efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, which began when Russian forces invaded Ukraine in early 2022. A trilateral meeting with officials from the US, Ukraine and Russia is planned for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi. “We have chosen humanity over war,” the first lady said at the event. “We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people,” she added. Melania Trump said she was “involved in every stage of the planning” of the temporary ceasefire, including reviewing aerial images and assessing roadways and hospital access. President Trump, who did not attend the event, lauded his wife’s role in the Oleshky ceasefire, telling reporters in October that “she does better than our professionals.” RUSSIAN ENVOY SET TO MEET US OFFICIALS Dmitriev was expected to meet with US officials while in Washington, two people familiar with his plans said. Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia and Dmytro Lubinets, the country’s human rights ombudsman, also attended the event. They urged Slovenian-born Melania Trump to keep up her peace efforts. Both sides presented the first lady with thank-you gifts. Russia’s Dmitriev gave her a drawing of pink hearts from an Oleshky girl and said the child “chose to live with her family in Russia,” nodding to the fight over displaced Ukrainian children in Russia. “I love Melania,” the drawing read. The Ukrainians presented the first lady with a state award “for your brave heart, for saving our people, and for returning back Ukrainian children.” She handed the visiting delegations letters addressed to Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. DEMOCRATS TAKE MAJORITY IN CONGRESS The visit marked the first in-person contact between Russian and US officials since Tuesday’s midterm elections, when Democrats ousted Republicans from control of Congress in a blow to President Trump. The Democratic majority in Congress starting in January is widely expected to push for more aid for Ukraine and to question the Republican president’s decisions to strike a diesel deal with Russia and ease some sanctions on Moscow. Trump has increased his criticism of Zelensky in recent weeks. The Kremlin has said it hopes Trump will continue his peacemaking efforts despite the Republican Party’s defeat. It has also said preparations were under way for a meeting of Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit November 18 to 19 in Shenzhen, China. Dmitriev previously met with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in the White House in 2025. Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, did not invite any Russian officials to the White House. Dmitriev has been involved in facilitating the release of American detainees in Russia, the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families, and the humanitarian operation in Oleshky.