Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday awarded U.S. First Lady Melania Trump a national honour for her role in brokering a partial ceasefire that allowed the evacuation of civilians from a Russian-occupied town.
“I hereby decree that the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, be awarded to Melania Trump, First Lady of the United States of America,” a decree read on the Ukrainian presidential website.
The text acknowledged her “significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine, and for active human rights and charitable work”.
Last month Melania Trump, the wife of U.S. President Donald Trump, announced a localised truce between Ukrainian and Russian forces to allow for residents of Oleshky on the southern front to leave, after suffering weeks of shortages of food and medicine.
The rare halt in fighting, which was respected by both sides, allowed roads to be demined and residents to depart for either Ukraine or Russia.
“This achievement marks an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American First Lady,” Melania Trump’s White House office said in a statement late Tuesday.
It also said she personally will bring representatives of Russia and Ukraine together at the White House, although it did not give a date.
In the same statement it said Melania Trump will deliver remarks on the Oleshky ceasefire at 11:00 am (1600 GMT) Thursday at the White House.
The first lady has also been involved in efforts to return Ukrainian children taken to Russia.
