U.S. first lady Melania Trump has helped secure a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, with the arrangement scheduled to take effect next Thursday, according to an announcement issued by the White House on Friday.
Valery Gerasimov, chief of staff of Russia’s armed forces, announced through the Defence Ministry’s Telegram channel that Russian troops would suspend military operations beginning at 4 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) Tuesday, paving the way for the planned humanitarian mission.
People living in the southern Ukrainian city, which has remained under Russian occupation since February 2022, have described an increasingly severe food shortage.
“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 White House said in its statement.
David Arakhamia, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, wrote on Telegram that the humanitarian mission would commence after the ceasefire had been established.
According to Arakhamia, the agreement emerged from extensive negotiations involving Melania Trump and Pope Leo. It would establish a humanitarian evacuation route for civilians seeking to leave Oleshky while enabling essential assistance to reach those remaining in the city.
The Kremlin welcomed the arrangement in Moscow, acknowledging Melania Trump’s contribution to the negotiations. It also confirmed that President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed the details of the agreement.
Earlier this week, the Kremlin disclosed that efforts were continuing to improve humanitarian conditions in Oleshky after Putin informed the pope of his willingness to cooperate in addressing the crisis.
The agreement comes amid mounting pressure from President Trump on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to negotiate a settlement with Putin aimed at ending the conflict that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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Melania Trump has been actively involved in initiatives aimed at reuniting Ukrainian children taken by Russia during the conflict with their families.
“The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster. Oleshky’s remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water,” the first lady said in the statement.
According to Melania Trump, the temporary suspension of hostilities will enable civilian teams from Russia and Ukraine to visit residents at their homes and arrange transportation for individuals wishing to relocate to either country. She added that an American media organization, whose identity was not disclosed, would accompany the teams to record the evacuation process.
Newsmax, a right-leaning media organization, reported that its camera crews would receive “exclusive access to document the effort.”
Situated across the Dnipro River from the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson, Oleshky now has an estimated 1,700 to 2,000 inhabitants, compared with approximately 24,000 before the war, according to the White House. Most remaining residents are elderly, although around 50 children are also believed to be living there. The White House further reported that approximately 90% of the city was submerged after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in 2023.
The White House statement explained that Melania Trump and her representative had communicated directly with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to negotiate and establish the conditions governing the limited ceasefire.
“Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine,” Melania Trump said.