Melania Trump takes credit for Oleshky truce starting Oct. 29

The White House confirmed a temporary ceasefire for the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky on Friday, setting the start date for Oct. 29.

First Lady Melania Trump played a central role in brokering the agreement. A White House statement credited her and her representative with working directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to finalize the terms.

The deal suspends military action in the city to facilitate humanitarian aid and civilian evacuation. Non-military teams from both nations will visit households to assist residents. They will help arrange transport for those wishing to move to either Russia or Ukraine along a designated safe passage.

Oleshky sits across the Dnipro River from Kherson. The White House stated the current population ranges between 1,700 and 2,000 people, including approximately 50 children. This figure contrasts sharply with the pre-war population of roughly 24,000. The agency also noted that about 90 percent of the city remains flooded following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.

Melania Trump described the conditions as dire in the statement. She said the remaining residents are mostly elderly and require immediate access to medicine, food, and clean water. Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia confirmed the accord on Telegram, noting that the humanitarian operation begins once the truce takes hold. He attributed the breakthrough to a process involving both Melania Trump and Pope Leo.

The Kremlin announced that Russian forces will cease firing from 4 a.m. local time on Oct. 27. General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov said this two-day pause would support the operation. The Kremlin praised Melania Trump and stated that work is underway to improve conditions in the city. President Vladimir Putin reportedly spoke by telephone with Pope Leo last week, expressing readiness to cooperate on the issue.

These developments occur alongside separate diplomatic efforts. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian, Russian, and U.S. negotiators agreed to hold technical talks in Abu Dhabi in early November. Zelenskyy spoke with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff after their recent meeting with Putin. He emphasized that any final peace deal must include strong security guarantees and a ten-year funding plan for Ukraine’s army.

Fighting continued elsewhere in Ukraine on Friday. Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport briefly suspended operations due to a drone threat. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that air defense units downed 21 drones targeting the capital over a two-hour period. In a separate move, the two sides exchanged 270 prisoners each. Acting prosecutor general Anton Kovalskyi stated that more than 19,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since the invasion began, a toll that includes 762 children.