Melania Trump hosts Russian and Ukrainian officials at White House

First lady Melania Trump is hosting Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House on Thursday, following her brokering of a six-day ceasefire in the region. The meeting aims to build on that pause in fighting. The ceasefire, secured late last month in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, allowed humanitarian aid to reach civilians and hundreds of residents to be evacuated. The talks precede another round of U.S.-mediated peace negotiations scheduled for next week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes the discussions could lead to a trilateral summit with President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, potentially ending the nearly five-year-long war. The event began at 11 a.m. EST.