The White House has said First Lady Melania Trump has brokered a “secured a ceasefire” arrangement between Russia and Ukraine in Oleshky, a southern Ukrainian city under Russian occupation since February 2022. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv immediately confirmed the claim on Friday, a day on which the administration of US President Donald Trump has pushed to revive diplomacy aimed at ending the war.
In a statement released by the White House, Melania Trump described conditions in the city as grim. She called Oleshky a front-line city “on the brink of disaster” and said residents were living with limited electricity, mined roads and regular military attacks.
Terms of the local truce and evacuation plans
Melania Trump said her intervention was essential to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate elderly residents. She said her representatives had worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to set the terms of the localized ceasefire.
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According to the statement, civilian leaders from both countries will cooperate to give civilians humanitarian access in the city. Those residents who want to leave will be moved to a destination of their choice. “I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine,” she said.
Shortages and an unnamed media monitor in Oleshky
Oleshky had a population of about 24,000 before the war and lies along the southeastern front. Russian forces seized it on the first day of the invasion, and the town saw heavy shelling. Most residents have since fled, and an estimated 2,000 people remain.
Those who stayed face severe shortages of food and medicine. Both sides have accused the other of blocking supplies. The first lady said “an impartial American media organisation” would accompany Russian and Ukrainian teams on the ground, but she did not name the organisation.
Wider US diplomacy and concessions to Russia
The announcement follows a Kremlin statement that Moscow had agreed to resume US-mediated talks with Ukraine as early as next month. Both sides, however, remain far apart on the terms of any possible deal.
The Trump administration has increased public pressure on Kyiv while also offering Russia several concessions. These include buying diesel from Russia and waiving some sanctions, which the administration said are meant to ease high fuel costs caused by the US-Israel war with Iran.
Separately, Ukraine has complained about disruptions to its Starshield military satellite system, which it relies on for much of its air defence. Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy has since said an agreement has been reached to resolve the problem. Starshield is a version of the Starlink system run by billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
