Zelensky awards Melania Trump Ukraine's highest honor for women after brokering Oleshky ceasefire

Ukrainian President Zelensky awarded US First Lady Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olha, 1st Class, for her role in brokering a ceasefire in Oleshky that allowed civilian evacuations and for efforts to return Ukrainian children from Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded US First Lady Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olha, 1st Class, Ukraine's highest state honor for women, for her humanitarian efforts including brokering a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. The award, dated November 2, recognizes her "significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine," particularly for children displaced or forcibly transferred to Russia. Trump played a central role in negotiating a temporary ceasefire that allowed hundreds of civilians to evacuate Oleshky, a front-line city where 90% was flooded after the Kakhovka Dam destruction. Four planes carrying evacuees arrived in Belarus on Saturday. The White House stated that Trump "independently initiated engagement between the two warring nations and successfully secured a ceasefire," calling it an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by a first lady. Russian and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet at the White House on Thursday at Trump's invitation. The article notes that nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children have been illegally transferred to Russia or Belarus since the invasion began.