Trump Wife Brokers Four-Day Oleshky Truce to Move 2,000 Starving Residents

The White House confirmed on Friday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a local ceasefire in the occupied city of Oleshky.

The arrangement stops military operations in the city beginning October 27. The pause is designed to allow aid workers to deliver supplies and to prepare for the evacuation of approximately 2,000 civilians currently trapped inside.

Oleshky, located in southern Ukraine, has been under Russian occupation since February 2022. Residents report severe shortages of food, water, and electricity. Some inhabitants are surviving on boiled grass, weeds, and small rations of bread. Officials from both sides had indicated earlier this week that a truce was imminent.

The White House stated that First Lady Melania Trump brokered the deal. Her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to set the terms. Trump said residents who choose to leave will receive coordinated support and transportation to their chosen destination. She noted that some evacuees may go to Russia while others head to Ukraine.

This announcement follows a long series of failed attempts to arrange a humanitarian pause. Ukrainian officials previously claimed that Russia rejected earlier proposals. Pope Leo XIV, the United Nations, the European Union, and the Council of Europe all urged the parties to stop fighting. Ukraine's ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said on October 18 that an agreement was near, but he did not mention the First Lady's role at that time.

Ukrainian forces have used drones to airdrop emergency food and medical supplies into Oleshky for several weeks. Lubinets told Reuters on Friday that the evacuation mission will include demining roads into the town and delivering enough aid to meet the needs of all residents. He added that officials want this effort to extend beyond a single event and beyond the city of Oleshky alone.

The truce announcement comes amid ongoing disputes between Washington and Kyiv. Ukrainian forces report widespread disruption to the Starlink satellite network. This slowdown began last week after President Donald Trump and Elon Musk publicly criticized Zelenskyy over strikes on Russian oil refineries. Both Trump and Musk deny responsibility for the technical issues.

Ukrainian officials said internet speeds remained capped at about 100 miles per hour throughout Friday. Serhii Beskrestnov, a military expert who advises Zelenskyy, said he has not observed any lifting of these restrictions. The speed cap prevents Ukrainian military equipment, including drones, from staying connected at high speeds. This hampers offensive drone operations and efforts to intercept incoming Russian attacks.

Relations between the US and Ukraine have deteriorated further due to the Starlink issues and Washington's temporary suspension of intelligence sharing. Tensions flared when the US lifted sanctions on Russia and began importing Russian diesel to lower energy prices before the midterm elections. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday that three tankers were heading to the US and that Russian companies could supply 500,000 metric tonnes of diesel in October.

Russia launched another overnight barrage on Ukraine on Friday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US are expected to resume in Abu Dhabi in November. Earlier rounds of talks produced no breakthrough. Russia demands a Ukrainian withdrawal from eastern territory, a drastic cut in its military size, and neutral status that would rule out NATO membership. President Vladimir Putin told Russian state television on Thursday that the lands lost by Kyiv are Russia's historical lands and insisted Moscow would achieve all its invasion objectives.