Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and economic adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has attended this Thursday the White House to take part in a ceremony led by the United States first lady, Melania Trump, on the occasion of the temporary ceasefire in the city of Oleshki, and has held a meeting with President Donald Trump.
During his remarks, delivered at the invitation of the first lady, Dmitriev expressed his gratitude for her “outstanding humanitarian work” in facilitating the truce between Russia and Ukraine in this locality in the province of Kherson. In this context, he presented her with a “small gift”: a drawing by an eleven-year-old girl from Oleshki accompanied by words addressed to Melania Trump.
“This message from the children, frankly, eclipses any diplomatic statement that anyone can make,” Dimitriev said, “on behalf of President Putin and the people of the Russian Federation.”
The adviser also stressed the “crucial leadership” of the first lady in coordinating the humanitarian operation and noted that Putin himself has given “all the necessary instructions to ensure the satisfactory implementation of the ceasefire” in the city.
“This humanitarian mission shows what can be achieved when compassion, determination, and cooperation come together,” Dmitriev added during the ceremony.
For her part, Melania Trump highlighted the role played by Putin and by the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, in putting the truce into motion. Without their involvement, “the ceasefire in Oleshki would not have been possible,” she said, pointing to “cooperation (that) sets a significant precedent for promoting peace throughout the region.”
The event at the White House also led to a meeting between Putin’s adviser and Donald Trump, something the U.S. president himself confirmed afterwards to reporters from the Oval Office, although without offering specific details about the content of the conversation.
“I can’t tell you what we talked about, but there’s going to be a great deal, a great deal that will go beyond Ukraine. I could even say that it could affect all of Europe. It’s going to be a grand and wonderful agreement and everyone will be delighted,” Trump said.