Melania or the Pope: Who brokered Russia-Ukraine ceasefire in Oleshky?
Summary
A temporary ceasefire announced on October 23 around Russian-occupied Oleshky is intended to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and evacuations amid reported shortages and war damage. The White House credited First Lady Melania Trump with helping broker the truce, while the Vatican offered a different account involving the pope’s calls with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents; the article excerpt does not establish who was responsible.Key Facts
- Russia has controlled Oleshky, in Ukraine’s Kherson region, since the early days of its February 2022 invasion.
- The United States estimates that 1,700 to 2,000 people remain in Oleshky, where residents and officials report shortages of food, medicine, and other supplies.
- Ukrainian and Russian officials said the temporary ceasefire would enable humanitarian aid deliveries and evacuations through humanitarian corridors.
- The ceasefire was scheduled to end on Sunday, and both sides said it did not amount to a broader end to hostilities.
- Melania Trump said she intervened to make aid and evacuations possible; the White House said she and her representatives worked with Russian and Ukrainian leaders on the terms.
- Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets publicly thanked Melania Trump and her team for helping coordinate the talks.
- The Vatican’s official newspaper published an account the morning after the White House announcement, while the article says the Vatican attributed the pause to the pope’s calls with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it had stopped shelling toward Kherson from 4 a.m. Moscow time on Tuesday in preparation for the effort in Oleshky.
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