Melania Trump Allegedly Snubs Olena Zelenska — Is She Avoiding Her Because of the Sit-Down Request?

Melania Trump and Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska both attended the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York City. The gathering brought together world leaders and their spouses, including US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Melania Trump presented her new programme, 'Fostering the Future Together', centred on children's digital welfare. Olena Zelenska, meanwhile, hoped to speak with the US First Lady about the plight of Ukrainian children taken or deported to Russia since 2022. Their presence together raised questions when reports suggested Melania Trump avoided Olena Zelenska despite repeated requests for a meeting.

Melania Trump, Olena Zelenska Attend UN General Assembly

According to The Hindustan Times, the UN General Assembly saw major speeches, policy discussions, and side events hosted by leaders and their spouses. Melania Trump organised a gathering in a decorated ballroom featuring flowers, macarons, and light refreshments. She addressed guests with a five-minute speech that compared childhood creativity to future technological innovation.

'As children, we all played marbles, flew paper airplanes and ran with the string in our hand, watching our kites lift off... Great minds have turned marbles into microchips, paper airplanes into drones and kites into satellites', Melania said.

She explained that her coalition's mission was to help children succeed in the digital age. She later announced that the first formal meeting of this initiative will be held at the White House in early 2026.

Olena Zelenska accompanied her husband during the sessions, seated close to the front during Melania Trump's remarks. Her public role centred on drawing attention to the humanitarian impact of Russia's war on Ukraine.

Did Melania Trump Snub Olena Zelenska?

Observers noted an unusual moment after Melania Trump's speech. Despite Olena Zelenska's presence near the stage, Melania Trump did not greet her as many expected, as per The Cut. Olena Zelenska was even seen waiting silently by an elevator, apparently hoping for an acknowledgement, but Melania Trump departed without engaging.

Speculation grew that Melania Trump had deliberately ignored her Ukrainian counterpart. Marc Beckman, her senior adviser, offered clarification.

'The truth is, Mrs Zelenska has reached out several times to set up a meeting, but there's no bilateral meeting. There's nothing formal', said Beckman. He added: 'As our First Lady is very polite, she's going to say hello today, but there's no sit-down, substantive conversation set; no meeting set'.

Although Olena Zelenska later stated she had eventually met Melania Trump, the reports of avoidance sparked questions over the First Lady's reluctance.

Why Melania Trump Ignores Olena Zelenska's Request

Olena Zelenska had repeatedly requested a formal sit-down during the UN sessions. Her aim was to highlight the situation of more than 19,000 Ukrainian children abducted or displaced to Russia, according to Ukraine's Children of War database. She wanted to show a shared commitment between Ukraine and the US in defending children's rights.

Melania Trump did not agree to the meeting. Instead, she offered only a brief acknowledgement at the event. Olena Zelenska later confirmed that she and Melania Trump did meet, saying they discussed 'shared values, foremost among them the protection of children and their childhood'.

In August, Melania Trump wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin calling for the return of the 'melodic laughter' of children affected by war. Yet she avoided direct reference to the abducted Ukrainian children. Olena Zelenska had earlier thanked Melania Trump for her concern, noting her 'attention to children who have become victims of Russia's brutal war'.

The contrast between public gestures and private refusals left questions over why Melania Trump hesitated to grant Olena Zelenska's formal request at the UN.