U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a Russia-Ukraine deal could come soon, after meeting Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House. Melania Trump also hosted rare talks there the same day.
According to the Moscow Times, Trump said he met privately with Dmitriev on Thursday and did not disclose what they discussed. Trump predicted a "big, beautiful agreement" that "might involve all of Europe," and said "everyone’s going to be thrilled," according to The Hindu.
Trump said he did not meet the Ukrainian officials who were also at the White House that day, the Moscow Times reported.
Melania Trump hosted a face-to-face meeting of Ukrainian and Russian officials, according to the Moscow Times. The meeting marked a six-day ceasefire and humanitarian mission around Oleshky, which expired on Sunday. Dawn reported that she called for a "more enduring" ceasefire and sent personal letters to Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Dawn also reported that Zelensky decreed that the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, be awarded to Melania Trump. The decree appears on the Ukrainian presidential website, according to Dawn.
Dawn reported that the Oleshky truce was respected by both sides and allowed roads to be demined and residents to leave for Ukraine or Russia.
The context for Trump’s remarks is a record of optimism that has not produced results. The Hindu reported that Trump promised to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office in January 2025, but has repeatedly touted peace deals that never materialized.
What happens next is a set of talks. A U.S. delegation is scheduled to mediate trilateral talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, according to the Moscow Times. Dawn reported only that the talks were set for "next week."
Before those talks, Jared Kushner said U.S. officials met in Brussels with Ukraine, NATO and European countries on post-war security guarantees. He called the meeting "productive and substantive," the Moscow Times reported.
Several key points rest on a single outlet. The Abu Dhabi dates come only from the Moscow Times, and Dawn’s claim that the Oleshky truce was the longest of the invasion so far is not confirmed by other sources. Dawn’s report of a secret Melania Trump channel to Putin, announced in October 2025, is also not independently confirmed.
The content of the Trump-Dmitriev meeting remains undisclosed, and no details beyond Trump’s own remarks are available. No response from the Kremlin or the Ukrainian government to Trump’s prediction of a deal appears in the sources reviewed. Readers should treat Trump’s forecast of an agreement as his claim until the Abu Dhabi talks produce results.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.