Zelenskyy awards Melania Trump Ukraine's Order of Princess Olga for humanitarian efforts
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded US First Lady Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, recognizing her efforts to help Ukrainian children and civilians affected by Russia's war.
The award was announced in a presidential decree dated November 2.
According to the decree, Melania Trump was honored for her "significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine" and her human rights and charitable work aimed at rescuing Ukrainian children and civilians affected by Russian aggression, including those illegally deported or forcibly displaced from Russian-occupied territories.
Zelenskyy also awarded the first lady's adviser, Marc Beckman, Ukraine's Golden Heart distinction for his contribution to humanitarian assistance and efforts to rescue and evacuate civilians from occupied Ukrainian territories.
Melania Trump's role in Oleshky humanitarian mission
In October, Melania Trump announced a humanitarian ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky, a town in southern Ukraine's Kherson Oblast, to allow aid deliveries and preparations for civilian evacuations.
The White House described her as an "exclusive intermediary" who initiated negotiations with Ukraine and Russia and helped coordinate the agreement's objectives, procedures, timeline and conditions.
The first lady had previously been involved in efforts to secure the return of Ukrainian children deported to Russia.
Beckman, who also produced a documentary about Melania Trump, was reportedly responsible for evacuation planning during the Oleshky humanitarian mission, according to Ukrainian journalist Ostap Yarysh.
The presidential decrees do not explicitly link the awards to the Oleshky operation, but both recognize humanitarian work involving civilians affected by Russia's invasion.