▲ First Lady Melania Trump, wife of U.S. President Donald Trump
The White House announced on the 23rd (local time) that Russian and Ukrainian forces have agreed to halt combat operations in Oleshky, a city in Ukraine's southern Kherson Oblast occupied by Russia.
According to the White House, the ceasefire was brokered by First Lady Melania Trump, wife of U.S. President Donald Trump. Starting on October 29, both Russia and Ukraine have agreed to permit the delivery of humanitarian aid supplies into the city and prepare for the evacuation of civilians via designated safe corridors.
In a press release, First Lady Melania Trump stated, "The situation in Oleshky is extremely grave. The remaining residents are mostly elderly people in urgent need of medical support, medicine, food, and clean water."
She added, "Oleshky residents are receiving only limited electricity, live surrounded by roads embedded with landmines, and endure frequent military attacks. It was clear that without my intervention, there would have been zero possibility of delivering humanitarian aid to this city and evacuating the elderly."
The White House reported that First Lady Melania Trump initiated consultations with both Russia and and Ukraine under the official title of "Exclusive Intermediary," coordinating the ceasefire's objectives, technical procedures, timing, process, and conditions.
Melania Trump said, "Civilian leaders from both countries will cooperate to visit families in Oleshky and determine the level of assistance they require," adding, "Residents wishing to evacuate will receive coordinated support and be transported to their desired destinations. Some will want to go to Russia, and some will want to go to Ukraine."
Melania Trump explained that she has secured an impartial U.S. media outlet to cover the aid process on-site, noting, "This will play a critical role in ensuring that each family's wishes are faithfully respected."
Oleshky had a pre-war population of 24,000, but with the majority having fled, an estimated 1,700 to 2,000 people remain, who are known to be elderly alongside about 50 children.
The White House noted that the city has been located right in the middle of the front lines since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and suffered compounded damage after the nearby Kakhovka Dam was destroyed in 2023.
Recently, on the 16th while recovering from lung cancer surgery, Pope Leo XIV placed a phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing deep concern over the humanitarian situation in Oleshky and requesting a ceasefire to allow relief supplies and food to enter.
However, Russia previously stated only that it had agreed to cooperate with the Vatican, without mentioning a "ceasefire."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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