Ukrainians and Ukrainian-Americans are praising First Lady Melania Trump after President Donald Trump credited her with pushing him to take a stronger stance on Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
During a Monday meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, President Trump unveiled a new, hardline approach aimed at ending the Russian invasion. He announced increased access to U.S. weapons for Ukraine—funded by European allies—and issued an ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin: end the war within 50 days or face a 100% secondary tariff on trade with the U.S. for any country continuing commerce with Russia. That measure could significantly affect nations like China, India, and Turkey.
Trump explained that while his conversations with Putin often sounded cordial, the Russian president would soon resume missile attacks.
“I speak to [Putin] a lot,” Trump said. “Every time I hang up, I tell Melania, ‘That was a good call.’ And she says, ‘Really? Another Ukrainian city just got hit.’”
He added that Putin offers only “meaningless” reassurances and accused him of feeding the U.S. “a lot of bullshit.”
Melania Trump’s behind-the-scenes role sparked a wave of admiration online, particularly from Ukrainians who see her Eastern European roots as giving her a deeper understanding of Russia’s behavior. Some joked she was working undercover for Ukraine, while others suggested she deserved the Nobel Peace Prize.
United24 Media, Ukraine’s official news platform, ran a piece highlighting Melania’s upbringing in communist Yugoslavia (now Slovenia) and her admiration for former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Ukrainian-American groups also released statements thanking the first lady.
British outlet The Guardian cited Ukrainian news site Business, which reported “a lot of love” for Melania on social media. Memes portrayed her as a Ukrainian soldier or special agent, and one user proposed adding her to Ukraine’s Medal of Honor list.
In interviews with the New York Post, Ukrainians in Kyiv expressed personal admiration.
“She’s against war. She doesn’t want Slavs to die. She understands us—she’s one of us,” said local resident Sergei Taruta.
Melania Trump has rarely spoken publicly about international affairs, but during the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, she condemned the violence and urged donations to humanitarian causes like the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). On International Women’s Day that year, she posted a tribute to Ukrainian women and children affected by the war.
Asked on Tuesday about the first lady’s influence, President Trump praised her as “very smart” and deeply empathetic.
“She’s neutral and level-headed. She wants to see people stop dying. She’s a lot like me in that way,” he said.
Trump has recently expressed growing frustration with Russia’s actions, accusing Putin of making false promises while continuing violent assaults.
“I thought he meant what he said,” Trump remarked. “But he speaks beautifully, then bombs people the same night. We don’t like that.”
NATO’s Rutte shared his own frustrations, describing how Russian officials derailed early peace talks by sending a historian to discuss Russian history instead of engaging in meaningful negotiations.
“They didn’t take it seriously,” Rutte said. “We pressured Ukraine to send top diplomats to Istanbul, and they did. Russia responded with a lecture on the year 1250.”
