U.S. First Lady Melania Trump attended the Presidential AI Challenge National Champion Award Ceremony held in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
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Russia confirmed on Tuesday that peace talks between Ukraine and the United States will take place next week in Abu Dhabi, and suggested that a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to end the conflict is on the table.
Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call that Vladimir Medinsky, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, will serve as Moscow’s chief negotiator for talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, Reuters reported.
Separately, the White House announced on Tuesday that First Lady Melania Trump will invite representatives from Russia and Ukraine to the White House to discuss the local ceasefire in Kherson.
On Monday, a six-day ceasefire to allow the evacuation of residents in the Russian-occupied city of Oreshki and surrounding areas of the Kherson region ended, and the White House announced a suspension of hostilities mediated by the first lady.
KHERSON, UKRAINE – OCTOBER 28: A man on a bicycle during a ceasefire passes by houses damaged by Russian airstrikes on October 28, 2026 in Kherson, Ukraine. (Photo credit: Ivan Antypenko/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC “UA:PBC”/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Global Images Ukraine | Global Images Ukraine | Getty Images
Ukraine on Monday accused Russia of using the ceasefire to strengthen military positions in the city.
The White House said Thursday’s First Ladies Summit would be a “special moment in American history,” but did not name the delegates who would attend. It added that Melania Trump will speak about the Oreshky ceasefire at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday.
Peskov also said Tuesday that the Kremlin hopes to finalize plans for a tripartite meeting between the leaders of Russia, the United States and China within the next few days. The comments followed earlier reports that these countries were planning to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy present.
President Zelensky said Kiev must be included in any negotiations over Ukraine’s future.
“It is only acceptable if we are at the negotiating table,” he said on October 20, adding that he had discussed a proposal for a tripartite meeting between the United States, China and Russia to negotiate an end to nearly five years of all-out war. “You can’t talk about Ukraine without Ukraine,” he said.
Tensions between the United States and Ukraine have increased in recent weeks as attacks continue between Moscow and Kiev, including on civilian and energy targets.
A series of moves by the Trump administration in October called into question Washington’s credibility as Kiev’s most important military partner.
Tuesday’s announcement comes after U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said late Monday that the U.S. would broker peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11, focusing on security agreements, de-escalation and humanitarian issues.
Witkoff also said that U.S. negotiators will meet with European and NATO officials in Brussels this week to discuss postwar security and rebuilding Ukraine.
