A ceasefire opens aid and safe passage in occupied Oleshky: inside Melania Trump’s secret diplomatic role in the Russia-Ukraine deal
A ceasefire for Oleshky
The agreement brings Russian and Ukrainian officials together around a humanitarian operation for Oleshky. It is intended to get food, clean water, medicine and doctors into the city, while allowing residents who wish to leave to travel safely.
Oleshky lies across the Dnipro River from the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson. Russia captured it at the start of its 2022 invasion. Its population, once roughly 24,000, has fallen to around 2,000, many of them elderly.
Officials sign humanitarian plan
Officials from both countries met in Belarus last week to approve the operation. The agreement’s signature pages, dated Oct. 23, were signed by Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, and Ukraine’s counterpart, Dmytro Lubinets.
The documents also describe plans for further humanitarian work in the region, coordinated with Melania Trump. Fox News Digital reported that her diplomatic effort there is continuing.
A broader diplomatic role
Trump had previously mediated exchanges of Ukrainian and Russian children. Negotiating an agreement to halt fighting represented a significant expansion of that work. The effort focuses on a limited ceasefire in one city, rather than an end to the wider war between Moscow and Kyiv, which has continued for years.
Key points
- Melania Trump helped negotiate a localized ceasefire for humanitarian operations in Oleshky.
- Russia and Ukraine signed the agreement in Belarus on Oct. 23.
- The plan covers aid deliveries and safe passage for residents seeking to leave.
- Oleshky’s population has fallen from roughly 24,000 to around 2,000.