Donald Trump announced a broad agreement to end the war in Ukraine, which could redefine the security landscape across Europe, revealing that he met on Thursday (November 5) at the White House with Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin’s special envoy. The U.S. president, who assessed that the war is nearing its end, clarified that he had not held a similar meeting with Ukrainian officials who were at the presidential residence that same day for an event hosted by Melania Trump.
His remarks came at a critical juncture in diplomatic efforts, as U.S. envoys held parallel talks with Ukrainian and European officials at NATO headquarters in Brussels, focusing on security guarantees for Kyiv and the future security architecture of Europe.
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Next week, delegations from the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine are expected to meet in Abu Dhabi, for the first trilateral peace talks since February. Trump’s reference to an agreement that could encompass all of Europe takes on particular significance in light of these consultations, while also raising questions about the scope of the negotiations and the role of European allies.
Trump: “It will be a great deal, and everyone will be thrilled”
Speaking to reporters at the White House, the U.S. president appeared particularly optimistic about the prospect of a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
“There will be a deal. It will be a great deal, and it will involve more than just Ukraine… I would even say it may include all of Europe. It will be a major, exceptional agreement, and everyone will be thrilled,” he said.
Trump confirmed that he met with Kirill Dmitriev, though he did not disclose any details about the content of their discussions.
Instead, he noted that he did not meet with the Ukrainian delegation, which was also at the White House. He did not explain his reasons, and the U.S. presidency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This decision is particularly noteworthy, as Trump has repeatedly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, blaming him for the delay in reaching an agreement due to his refusal to make concessions.
At the same time, during the final weeks of the U.S. midterm election campaign, Trump had reached an agreement with Vladimir Putin to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, a move that is part of broader contacts between Washington and Moscow.
Talks in Brussels on Security Guarantees for Ukraine
While Trump was meeting with the Russian envoy in Washington, U.S. representatives were holding talks with officials from Ukraine, NATO, and European countries in Brussels.
Among them was the U.S. president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who described the discussions as productive, noting that they focused both on security guarantees for Ukraine and on shaping a broader European security framework.
“We are working intensively with all sides to find practical solutions that could end this war and lay the groundwork for a lasting peace,” Kushner said in a post.
Parallel consultations in Washington and Brussels indicate that the discussions are no longer limited exclusively to the terms for ending hostilities, but are also extending to the guarantees that would accompany a potential agreement.
For the time being, however, it remains unclear exactly what Trump means by his reference to an agreement that could encompass all of Europe, nor whether the discussions concern specific changes in relations between Russia and NATO.
The six-day ceasefire in Olesky and Melania Trump’s
role Kirill Dmitriev’s visit to the White House was linked to an event hosted by Melania Trump marking the recent six-dayceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in Olesky, a town in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine that is under Russian control.
The temporary ceasefire was in effect from October 27 to November 1 and was one of the most significant local ceasefires since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
The goal was to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate civilians from the city, where living conditions had deteriorated dramatically.
According to Melania Trump, nearly 800 residents were evacuated from Olesky during the operation.
When the ceasefire took effect, it was estimated that approximately 2,000 people remained in the city. Residents had the option of either evacuating to areas under Ukrainian or Russian control or remaining in the city, with access to new supplies of food and medicine.
The First Lady explained that she initiated these contacts after learning about the humanitarian situation in Olesky during an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September.
As she noted, she and her close associate, Mark Beckman, worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to establish the terms of the temporary ceasefire.
Putin’s Thanks and Zelenskyy’s
Message During the event at the White House, Dmitriev thanked Melania Trump for her humanitarian efforts, also conveying the Russian president’s gratitude.
As he stated, Vladimir Putin had personally given instructions for the operation, acknowledging the First Lady’s contribution to achieving the temporary ceasefire.
Also attending the event were David Arakhamia, head of the parliamentary group of Zelenskyy’s party, and Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets.
Arachamia congratulated Melania Trump on her initiative and called on her to continue her humanitarian efforts.
“We would certainly like to ask you to continue and take on new missions so that you can contribute as much as possible to de-escalation,” he said.
For his part, Volodymyr Zelenskyy had referred to the Olesky ceasefire last week, during a speech in Spain, emphasizing that the operation proved that Moscow has the ability to halt hostilities whenever it decides to do so.
“When Putin wants the fighting to stop, it stops. And there was real calm, with no attacks for a few days, and we saved hundreds of lives,” he noted.
“A small spark that will lead to lasting peace”
Melania Trump expressed hope that the example set by Oleski would serve as a starting point for broader and more lasting ceasefire agreements.
“Let Oleski be the small spark that will grow into a lasting flame of peace,” she said.
"Now we must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people."
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 5, 2026@FLOTUS Melania Trump unites Russia and Ukraine following the historic ceasefire that she brokered in Oleshky.
It's the first time in… pic.twitter.com/9jQ3zm038o
Over the past year, the First Lady has taken on a more active role in humanitarian initiatives related to the war in Ukraine, participating in efforts to reunite families separated by the conflict.
To date, her efforts have helped return nearly 36 children to their relatives.
At the end of the event, she handed representatives of Putin and Zelenskyy a large white envelope each, asking them to deliver her personal letters to the two leaders.
Dmitriev presented her with a painting by an 11-year-old girl, while Zelenskyy awarded her a Ukrainian honorary distinction for her contribution to achieving the ceasefire.
The Humanitarian Disaster in Olesky
Olesky, which had a population of about 24,000 before the war, is located on the Dnieper River, which separates Ukrainian forces from the area controlled by the Russians.
The city was captured by Russian forces on the first day of the invasion and has since suffered extensive destruction from bombings, fires, and the collapse of critical infrastructure.
The situation worsened dramatically in June 2023, when the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam caused widespread flooding. An Associated Press investigation concluded that the explosion that caused the collapse was most likely the work of Russian forces.
Today, the residents who remain in Olesky face severe shortages of food and medicine, with no electricity, heating, or running water, as another difficult winter approaches.
Ukraine has repeatedly called for a local ceasefire to facilitate the evacuation of civilians, while under international law, Russia, as the occupying power, is obligated to ensure the basic survival needs of the civilian population.
Europe awaits the next moves following the Democrats’
victory. The diplomatic landscape is taking shape, while in the United States, the Democrats’ sweeping victory in the November 3, a development that shifts the balance of power in Congress.
The head of European diplomacy, Kaia Kallas, expressed the hope that the new Congress will exert “greater pressure on Russia,” highlighting the different emphasis the European side places on managing the war.
The upcoming talks in Abu Dhabi are expected to reveal whether Trump’s optimism can translate into concrete commitments from Moscow and Kyiv.
The key question, however, concerns not only ending the war in Ukraine, but also the substance of the broader agreement outlined by the U.S. president, as well as the role European countries will play in shaping it.
