Politics
Melania Trump Announces Oleshky Truce for Aid and Evacuations Starting Oct. 29
First lady Melania Trump says she helped arrange a localized Russia-Ukraine ceasefire in Oleshky, set to begin Oct. 29. The limited deal comes after an earlier energy truce faltered and attacks on energy facilities continued.
First lady Melania Trump said Friday she helped broker a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in Oleshky, a small Ukrainian city, with the pause in fighting scheduled to begin Oct. 29.
Trump said the agreement is intended to make humanitarian aid deliveries and evacuations possible. Residents face limited electricity, mined roads and regular military attacks, she said, adding that evacuating older people and bringing in aid would otherwise be impossible.
The announcement follows a separate energy ceasefire President Donald Trump said had been reached earlier this month. Ukraine accused Russia of violating that agreement soon after it was announced, and the two sides have continued attacks on energy facilities. The record of that truce underscores the uncertainty facing any new, narrowly defined pause in fighting.
The first lady’s intervention comes as President Trump pursues efforts to end the war and bring down global energy costs. In recent weeks, he has called for regime change in Ukraine and issued an order waiving congressionally approved sanctions that would have targeted Russia and its trading partners.
The Oleshky agreement is limited to one city; no broader end to the fighting was announced. Its immediate test will be whether the scheduled pause allows aid workers to reach residents and older people to leave safely.