First Lady Melania Trump has secured a localized ceasefire covering the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region, the White House announced Friday, in an arrangement intended to let humanitarian aid reach residents and allow civilians to evacuate safely.
According to the White House, both Russia and Ukraine have agreed to the temporary halt in fighting. Valery Gerasimov, chief of staff of Russian forces, said on the Defence Ministry’s Telegram channel that Russian troops would stop firing from 4 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) on Tuesday to let the humanitarian operation begin. Speaking Saturday, Melania Trump said, “They’re starting a ceasefire on October 27th, and I hope everything goes as it’s planned.”
Ukraine’s top negotiator, David Arakhamia, said on Telegram that the humanitarian operation would start once the ceasefire takes hold. He described the accord as the result of a lengthy process involving the First Lady and Pope Leo, and said it would open a humanitarian corridor allowing residents to leave Oleshky and letting aid into the town.
The Kremlin welcomed the agreement and praised Melania Trump’s role in reaching it, saying President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed the details directly. Moscow had said earlier in the week that it was working to ease the humanitarian situation in Oleshky after Putin told the pope he was ready to cooperate on the issue.
President Trump told reporters Friday that the ceasefire came about on “her initiative” and that “both sides wanted to do it.” He said, “What she wants to do is save children, and that’s her focus,” adding that “both sides are cooperating with her, doing a very good job.” He said the First Lady’s office had contacted both governments directly. On Saturday he added, “I think she’s doing better than the professionals right now.”
Marc Beckman, a senior advisor to the First Lady, told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Saturday that the arrangement marks a shift in how the role of first lady is being used. “She is completely revamping the role of the First Lady,” he said, describing the shift as one “from building policy awareness to action-oriented.” He said the ceasefire was “the first time towards real, everlasting peace within this war-torn region.”
In a separate appearance Friday evening on OANN, Beckman said Russian forces had indicated they intend to expand the ceasefire geographically within the Kherson region beyond Oleshky, and that the time period of the truce had been extended by two days. “You might be the first ones to know this,” he said of the reported expansion.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the development an “important achievement,” writing that the First Lady’s efforts to secure the ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian aid “demonstrate the power of diplomacy and leadership” and represent “a meaningful step toward peace bringing hope to civilians, and creating an opportunity for progress.”
The Oleshky arrangement follows earlier efforts by Melania Trump to reunite Ukrainian children separated from their families during the war, including the return of five children in July. That work traces back to a personal letter she wrote to Putin in August 2025, which President Trump hand-delivered during their August 15, 2025, summit in Anchorage, Alaska.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login