In brief
The White House announced that First Lady Melania Trump has successfully negotiated a ceasefire in the war‑torn city of Oleshky, which has been under Russian control since February 2022. The truce, set to start on 29 October, comes as the city’s largely elderly residents face dire shortages of medicine, food and clean water. Though Russia and Ukraine have not yet responded, the move highlights the high‑profile diplomacy at stake. Residents have survived on garden weeds amid the frontline crisis. How the truce will unfold remains to be seen.
Melania Trump brokers truce for Ukraine city ’on brink of disaster’, White House says
US First Lady Melania Trump has "successfully secured" a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian‑occupied city of Oleshky, the White House announced.
The statement said the truce in the "front‑line war city on the brink of disaster" would begin on 29 October, though neither Ukraine nor Russia have yet commented.
"Oleshky’s remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food and clean water," the White House said.
Oleshky, in the Kherson region, was seized by Russian forces during the first days of Moscow’s full‑scale invasion in February 2022. Remaining residents have recently resorted to eating garden weeds to survive.
