US first lady Melania Trump helped broker a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia in the city of Oleshky, the White House announced Friday. The localized truce, according to the White House, is slated to begin on October 29.
What do we know so far about the ceasefire deal in Oleshky?
The Ukrainian city occupied by Russia on the frontline of the war faces a humanitarian crisis and only around 2,000 people still live there. Prior to the war, the city had a population of around 24,000.
Oleshky has been under blockade since 2025 and was first occupied when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The city is located in southern Ukraine, just 9 kilometers (around 5.6 miles) from the major city of Kherson.
“Oleshky’s remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food and clean water,” Melania Trump said in a statement. “The people of Oleshky have limited electricity, live amid mined roads, and endure regular military attacks.”
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, thanked the first lady for securing the deal.
“Under our agreement: first a ceasefire will be put in place; second, humanitarian aid will be delivered to Oleshky; and third, civilians will be allowed to move freely out of Oleshky,” Lubinets said in a video message posted on Telegram. “The operation will be carried out gradually and is extremely challenging to implement.”
Russia also confirmed the agreement and said it will halt fire earlier than what the White House announced at 0400 local time (0100 GMT) on October 27.
According to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, residents in Oleshky say Russian occupying forces prevented them from leaving the city. Oleshky residents also say Russia has used civilians to shield military positions in the city — a war crime under international humanitarian law.
Fresh Ukraine talks expected in Abu Dhabi next month
The ceasefire deal in Oleshky comes as US, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators are expected to meet in Abu Dhabi next month to discuss ending the war.
“The plan is to meet in the first half of November, and as early as possible, of course,” Zelenskyy told the US conservative Hudson Institute think tank.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
In comments to Russian state news outlet TASS, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also said preparations are underway for a three-way meeting in mid-November. Russian President Vladimir Putin said security would be a main topic for the Abu Dhabi talks.
“That is the security of both countries, Russia and Ukraine, after there has been a transition to a peace settlement,” Peskov said.
The Kremlin spokesperson said Russia only sees the Europeans at the table during a later stage in the talks. European leaders such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have said Europe must be involved in future Ukraine peace talks.
“It is clear that the architecture of European security cannot be discussed without other participants,” Peskov added.
US President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated at Zelenskyy, and is pressuring him to “make a deal.”
Trump has blamed Ukraine for rising diesel prices in the US, as the US-Israeli war against Iran has caused the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and drove up the cost of gas at the pump for American consumers.
Trump has backed a deal to buy diesel from Russia to lower prices at fuel pumps, drawing criticism from Ukraine. The Kremlin said Friday that the first tanker of Russian diesel has set sail for the US despite the backlash from Ukraine.
Ukraine still dealing with Starshield issues as Trump defends Musk
Most recently, there has been controversy that tech billionaire Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of the Starshield military communications system that Ukraine relies on, possibly with the backing of Trump.
Trump has denied that he ordered restrictions on Starlink. He also defended Musk in comments to reporters on Friday and said, “Elon will never do anything wrong.”
“You know, whether I called or whether somebody else called, doesn’t make any difference,” Trump said. “I guess the bottom line, he put it back.”
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy and Ukraine said Friday that the system was still being throttled in Ukraine.
“It works, but it’s still limited,” Zelenskyy told US broadcaster ABC News.
A source in Ukraine’s Defense Ministry told AFP news agency and other news outlets that Ukrainians were witnessing “instances of signal loss” when using Starshield.
“There is currently no confirmation that the restrictions have been lifted,” the source added.
Edited by: Sean Sinico
If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google, so you’ll always see our verified news first.
