Melania Trump helps broker truce for 2,000 trapped in Oleshky
The White House announced a pause in fighting starting Oct. 29 to allow aid into the flooded city, a move Ukraine credits to both the First Lady and Pope Leo.
By Abigail Brooks ·
Melania Trump secured a temporary ceasefire for the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, according to a White House announcement made on Friday. The agreement is scheduled to take effect on Oct. 29, allowing humanitarian teams to deliver essential supplies to a shrinking population. The White House credited the First Lady with working directly with leaders in Moscow and Kyiv to establish the terms of the localized truce.
The situation in the front-line city has deteriorated rapidly. Oleshky sits across the Dnipro River from Kherson and has lost most of its pre-war population of 24,000. Currently, between 1,700 and 2,000 residents remain, including approximately 50 children. About 90 percent of the city is underwater following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, leaving the remaining inhabitants largely elderly and in need of medical care.
Melania Trump described the conditions as dire in the official statement. She noted that the people left behind urgently require medicine, food, and clean water. Under the new arrangement, non-military teams from both nations will visit homes to assess needs and help arrange transportation for anyone wishing to leave for either side of the border.
Ukraine’s top negotiator, David Arakhamia, confirmed the details on Telegram. He stated that the humanitarian operation would commence once the ceasefire is in place. Arakhamia emphasized that the accord followed a lengthy process involving both Melania Trump and Pope Leo. The agreement will establish a safe corridor for civilians to exit and for assistance to enter.
The Kremlin indicated that the evacuation process would require several days. Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly spoke by telephone with Pope Leo last week, telling the pontiff he was ready to cooperate on the issue. In response, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced that Russian forces will cease firing from 4 a.m. local time on Oct. 27 to support the upcoming operation.
Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that technical-level talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are set for the first half of November in Abu Dhabi. Zelenskyy spoke with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff after their meeting with Putin earlier in the week. He stated that any final peace deal must include strong security guarantees and a 10-year funding plan for the Ukrainian army.
These developments occur amid ongoing criticism from European allies and U.S. politicians regarding American involvement in the war. President Trump recently struck a deal with Putin to import diesel and declared a ceasefire on energy attacks, though Russian forces have continued to fire on that infrastructure. On Oct. 14, Zelenskyy revealed that SpaceX had restricted Starlink service, a move Ukrainian officials say hinders drone defense and strikes.
Fighting persisted on Friday, with Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport briefly suspending operations due to a drone threat. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that air defenses downed 21 drones over the capital in two hours. The two sides also exchanged 270 prisoners each. Anton Kovalskyi, Ukraine's acting prosecutor general, said more than 19,000 Ukrainian civilians, including 762 children, have been killed since the full-scale invasion began.
