Mrs. Trump's exact role in the ceasefire negotiations remains unclear, the New York Times notes. On Thursday, during a meeting at the White House with a small delegation of Russian and Ukrainian representatives, she spoke publicly for the first time about her efforts. The first lady said she learned about the situation in Ilyushki in September. She stated that she was closely involved in the details of the evacuation, and said that she studied plans to remove mines, roads, vehicles and medical resources. Melania Trump said she assigned adviser Mark Beckman, a film producer with no diplomatic experience, to work with Ukrainian and Russian officials. After last week's evacuation, Russian and Ukrainian officials insisted that the US first lady and her staff, including Beckman, negotiated with both sides for weeks and played a key role in reaching the final agreement. "In the end," writes the New York Times, "the governments of Ukraine and Russia decided it was in their best interest to work with Mrs. Trump and give her a humanitarian victory. It will solve two problems: it will solve the escalating disaster in Alsheki, and, apparently, it will help them mend fences with Mrs. Trump, Mrs. Trump's unexpected husband." After the evacuation, Russian and Ukrainian officials in charge of the work praised her warmly, calling her an important person in the mission. At the White House on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Kirill Dmitriev said Mrs. Trump made sure that "agreements turned into actions and actions remained reasonable." He gave her a drawing of an 11-year-old girl, who he said had decided to leave the city of Alsheki and live in another city in Russia. The girl's photo had three words: "I love Melania. Melania Trump's efforts were not the only ones aimed at a ceasefire, notes the New York Times.