Melania Trump Arranges Ceasefire for Oleshky

Residents of the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in Kherson, Ukraine, began a humanitarian pause in fighting early Tuesday. The ceasefire was arranged by First Lady Melania Trump after months of warnings about a worsening situation in the area. It allows for the entry of aid and the evacuation of civilians.

The White House announced last week that the first lady secured the agreement. A statement released Friday said the deal would temporarily stop military action to enable a civilian evacuation through a designated safe passageway. Both Ukrainian and Russian militaries confirmed the truce starts at 3 a.m. local time, or 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Neither side has said when the pause will end.

Melania Trump described the town as being on the brink of disaster. She said the remaining population, which consists mostly of elderly people, needs medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water. She noted that residents have limited electricity and live on mined roads while enduring regular attacks. She stated that without her intervention, bringing aid and evacuating the elderly would have been impossible.

Civilian representatives from both countries will visit Oleshky to assess the needs of the residents. The town had a population of about 24,000 before the war started. An impartial American media organization will document the process to ensure each family's wishes are respected. The ceasefire is expected to last several days while Russian forces clear roads of mines, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy told Ukraine's TSN TV channel on Sunday that his forces must verify the area is safe. He said Russia would likely do everything it could to clear the mines so that residents would move toward Russia and stay there. He added that Russia is not going to simply let people go. Both sides blame each other for the crisis. Kyiv accuses Russian forces of using the residents as human shields and mining roads. Russia says Ukraine is sieging the town with drone strikes and blocking aid.

The Kremlin acknowledged last month that food and medical supplies had trouble reaching Oleshky. It said its military was working to fix the problem. Ukrainian media has reported on people who escaped the town. They spoke to relatives of the estimated 2,000 people still inside, including children. Some said the town was near starvation and residents relied on homegrown produce. Others said they ate grass.

The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said there have been no food deliveries to the town since the end of May. Communication is difficult because of weak internet and cellphone service. Drone footage shared by Ukraine's 34th Separate Marine Brigade Borysfen last month showed charred ruins of residential and administrative buildings. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, shared a video earlier this month showing residents leaving on foot, bicycles, and mopeds in search of food.

Pope Leo XIV raised the crisis with President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks. European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno went on a hunger strike to draw attention to the situation. She said the people of Oleshky cannot be abandoned. The ceasefire differs from previous Easter or Christmas truces because it involves open mediation by the United States. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the arrangement could serve as a model for other humanitarian pauses.

Peskov called the American involvement highly positive. Melania Trump has been involved in efforts to bring back Ukrainian children taken by Russia. The White House said she used the communication channel established through those efforts to secure the ceasefire in Oleshky.