United States First Lady Melania Trump has brokered a deal and secured a temporary ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and Russia in the war-ravaged city of Oleshky.
The White House, in a statement on Friday, said the temporary halt of all military action in the Ukrainian city, billed to take effect from October 29, 2026, will allow humanitarian aid to enter and enable residents to evacuate through a designated passageway.
“First Lady Melania Trump successfully secured a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, localised to the city of Oleshky,” the White House said.
It added, “Both nations agreed to temporarily stop all military action in Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and to prepare a civilian evacuation through a designated safe passageway. The localised ceasefire will begin on October 29, 2026.”
Mrs Trump described the situation in the war-ravaged city as dire, stating that Oleshky, a front-line war city on the brink of disaster, has its remaining population comprised primarily of elderly residents who need urgent medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water.
“The people of Oleshky have limited electricity, live amid mined roads, and endure regular military attacks. It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible,” she bemoaned.
The White House noted that Mrs Trump and her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms of the localised ceasefire.
Mrs Trump “initiated discussions with both nations and aligned the parties on the agreement’s objectives, technical procedures, timing, processes, and terms, in her formal role as Exclusive Intermediary.”
She also stated that, “I have also secured an impartial American media organisation to accompany and document Russian and Ukrainian teams on the ground throughout the process. This will play a significant role in ensuring that the wishes of each family are faithfully respected.”
According to the White House, the exigent circumstances of Oleshky came to Mrs Trump’s attention during a private discussion at her Fostering the Future Together event in New York City during the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
“My representative and I immediately leveraged the communication channel we established with Russia and Ukraine through the previous six reunifications of 34 children. Both nations promptly assigned teams to coordinate the complex mechanics involved, including demining. All parties have worked around the clock since that moment,” she explained.
The now war-torn city, which had a population of 24,000 people before the war, now has a population that has plummeted to just 2,000.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.