Melania Trump announced on Friday that she brokered a cease-fire between Russian and Ukrainian forces in Oleshky, a southern Ukrainian city occupied by Russia. She stated the agreement would allow residents to leave through a designated safe passageway, emphasizing that without her intervention, humanitarian aid and evacuations would be impossible. The cease-fire was set to begin on Thursday.
Pope Leo XIV also lobbied Vladimir Putin for a cease-fire recently, while David Arakhamia, head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's party faction, welcomed the development and expressed gratitude to the first lady and the pope. Dmitri S. Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, confirmed the Russian military was working on agreeing to the timing to enable the humanitarian mission, crediting the first lady with a significant contribution.
The announcement underscores the Trump administration's unorthodox diplomatic approach, coming as Ukraine and allies worry about a potential shift toward Russia. Earlier this week, Donald Trump defended Putin and demanded Ukraine replace Zelensky, even as Russia continues missile and drone attacks. Trump also arranged to purchase diesel from Moscow and stated Russia has been fine on Ukraine.
Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, called Putin a humanitarian for releasing an American held for years. Zelensky has accused Trump of pushing Ukraine to surrender and requested help unblocking Starshield, the Space X military satellite network. In a statement, the first lady said she would send an impartial American media organization, Newsmax, to accompany and document the teams on the ground.
Oleshky is separated from Kherson by the Dnipro River, where Russian forces strike Kherson from across the river and Ukrainian forces strike Oleshky from Kherson.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing