Key facts
- Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's special envoy, will attend a White House event hosted by Melania Trump, two people familiar said.
- The White House said Melania Trump would deliver remarks on a six-day local ceasefire around Russian-held Oleshky, which she helped mediate.
- US, Russian and Ukrainian officials meet in Abu Dhabi on November 10 for talks the US side will use to seek progress toward ending the war.
- The Kremlin said work was under way to prepare a Putin-Trump-Xi meeting at APEC in Shenzhen on November 18 to 19.
- Democrats won both chambers of Congress, and the majority from January is widely expected to push for more Ukraine aid.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev will attend a White House event hosted by US first lady Melania Trump on November 5, 2026, and will also meet US administration officials, two people familiar with his plans told Reuters.
The visit is the first in-person contact between Russian and US officials since midterm elections in which Democrats secured control of both the US Senate and the House of Representatives, a blow to President Donald Trump. The Democratic majority in Congress from January is widely expected to push for more aid for Ukraine and to question several decisions of the Republican administration, such as a diesel deal with Russia and the easing of some sanctions.
The Kremlin said it hopes Trump will continue his peacemaking efforts despite the Republican Party's defeat. It added that work was under way to prepare a meeting between Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on November 18 to 19 in Shenzhen, China.
Dmitriev's visit precedes a trilateral meeting of US, Russian and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi on November 10, at which US negotiators will seek progress toward ending the war, now nearing its five-year mark.
The White House said in a statement that Melania Trump would deliver remarks on a six-day local ceasefire around the Russian-held town of Oleshky, which she helped mediate. One of those familiar with Dmitriev's plans said a humanitarian track in his US contacts, and his interaction with Melania Trump's team, had emerged as an important area of negotiations alongside the economy and business deals.
Dmitriev has been involved in facilitating the release of American detainees in Russia, the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families, and the humanitarian operation in Oleshky. The source said Russia and the US had a mutual interest in continuing these humanitarian efforts. Dmitriev previously met Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, at the White House in 2025.