White House claims Melania Trump has secured ceasefire in Oleshky
The White House has issued a statement reporting that US First Lady Melania Trump has secured a truce between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, where a humanitarian disaster is currently unfolding.
Source: European Pravda, citing a statement made by the White House; Dmytro Lytvyn, communications adviser to Ukrainian president, commenting on the situation
Details: The White House said Russia and Ukraine have agreed to temporarily halt all military action in Oleshky to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and prepare to evacuate the civilian population through a designated safe corridor.
The localised ceasefire is set to take effect on 29 October.
Quote from Melania Trump: "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.
It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible."
Details: According to the statement, the First Lady and her representative worked directly with the leadership of Russia and Ukraine to define the terms of the local truce. Melania Trump initiated negotiations with both countries and aligned the parties on the agreement's objectives, technical procedures, timelines, processes and conditions.
Quote from Melania Trump: "Non-military, civilian leaders from both countries will work together to visit Oleshky residents in their homes and determine the level of assistance they require. 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."
Details: Melania Trump said that an impartial American media organisation will accompany and document the activities of the Russian and Ukrainian teams on the ground throughout the process.
The situation in Oleshky came to Melania Trump's attention during a private conversation at her Fostering the Future Together event in New York during the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
Quote from Melania Trump: "My representative and I immediately leveraged the communication channel we established with Russia and Ukraine through the previous six reunifications of 34 children. Both nations promptly assigned teams to coordinate the complex mechanics involved, including demining. All parties have worked around the clock since that moment."
In a response to the White House statement, Dmytro Lytvyn noted that the issue of the situation in Oleshky is being handled by Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada (Parliamentary) Commissioner for Human Rights.
Quote from Lytvyn: "On the Ukrainian side, Mr Lubinets is handling the topic of Oleshky, and it would be more appropriate for him to comment, as the topic is sensitive and everything must be carried out precisely as coordinated with Mr Lubinets."
Background:
- On 20 October, European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno announced that she was going on a hunger strike to draw the international community's attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in occupied Oleshky.
- On 28 September, Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said the EU was attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to occupied Oleshky.
- On 16 October, Pope Leo XIV held a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and asked him to arrange for a truce so that aid can be delivered to temporarily occupied Oleshky.
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