Ukraine Warupdated 55m ago2 min read
Zelenskyy Awards Melania Trump Ukraine’s Order of Princess Olga for Humanitarian Support
“The White House described her as an ‘exclusive intermediary’ who initiated negotiations with Ukraine and Russia”
“It was the longest local pause in fighting since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.”
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Zelenskyy awarded Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, for humanitarian support. Decree cited her significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine.
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Order for humanitarian role
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded US first lady Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga, 1st class, in a presidential decree dated Nov. 2, 2026, for her “significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy’s decree also tied the honor to Melania Trump’s efforts aimed at rescuing Ukrainian children and citizens affected by Russian aggression, including people “illegally deported, or forcibly displaced from territories of Ukraine” under Russian control.
The award came days after a six-day ceasefire brokered by the US first lady between Russia and Ukraine in Oleshky ended at 2100GMT Sunday, with the ceasefire taking effect on Oct. 27 to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.
Hromadske reported that Zelenskyy also awarded Melania Trump’s adviser, Marc Beckman, Ukraine’s Golden Heart distinction for his contribution to humanitarian assistance and efforts to rescue and evacuate civilians from occupied Ukrainian territories.
Oleshky ceasefire and mediation
Melania Trump announced a humanitarian ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky, a town in southern Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast, to allow aid deliveries and preparations for civilian evacuations. The White House described her as an “exclusive intermediary” who initiated negotiations with Ukraine and Russia and helped coordinate the agreement’s objectives, procedures, timeline and conditions, according to Hromadske.
The Independent said Zelenskyy’s decree cited Melania Trump’s “significant personal contribution” to humanitarian support for Ukraine and her work to help Ukrainian children, including those deported or forcibly moved from Russian-occupied territory. The Independent also quoted Zelenskyy saying, “We are grateful that they are organising this possibility to evacuate people,” linking the award to the evacuation effort from Oleshky.
Next steps and proposed extension
Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said he and his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, agreed to approach Melania Trump with a proposal to extend the humanitarian mission in Oleshky to other settlements where the situation is dire. Ukrainian National News reported that Melania Trump agreed on 3 November to hold a meeting with representatives of Ukraine and Russia regarding the humanitarian mission conducted in Oleshky.
Ukrainian National News also said the White House emphasized that Melania Trump “independently initiated engagement between the two warring countries and successfully secured a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding areas of the Kherson region.” Ukrainian National News added that Ukrinform reported Lubinets and Davyd Arakhamiia, head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, were expected to attend the meeting on behalf of Ukraine.