First Lady Melania Trump secured an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to temporarily halt all military action in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky beginning October 29, allowing humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations through a designated safe passageway, according to a White House announcement Friday.
Acting as an “Exclusive Intermediary,” Melania Trump initiated discussions with Russian and Ukrainian leadership and aligned both sides on the agreement’s terms, timing and procedures. Non-military civilian leaders from both countries will visit residents in their homes to assess their needs, coordinate medical care, medicine, food and clean water, and assist those seeking evacuation to their preferred destinations in Russia or Ukraine. Teams are also coordinating demining and other operational details.
Oleshky, in southern Ukraine across the Dnipro River from Kherson, is estimated to have 1,700 to 2,000 residents, primarily elderly people, along with approximately 50 children. Residents face limited electricity, mined roads and regular military attacks. The
Melania Trump said the city was “on the brink of disaster” and that, without her intervention, bringing humanitarian aid into Oleshky and evacuating elderly residents would have been impossible. The situation came to her attention during a private discussion at her Fostering the Future Together event in New York City during the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
She said communication channels established through six previous reunifications involving 34 children from Russia and Ukraine helped make the agreement possible. An impartial American media organization will accompany and document the teams carrying out the operation, she said.
Read the White House Press Release
