The White House has announced that First Lady Melania Trump has "secured a ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine in the southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky, which has been under Russian occupation since February 2022.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine immediately confirmed the statement, issued on Friday, as the Trump administration continues renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war.
"The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster," Melania Trump said in a statement released by the White House.
"The people of Oleshky have limited electricity, live amid mined roads, and endure regular military attacks. It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible," she said.
The First Lady said her representatives worked directly with "Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms of the localized ceasefire" and that civilian leaders from both countries will cooperate to grant humanitarian access to civilians in the city.
Oleshky had a population of 24,000 before the war. It sits along the southeastern front of the conflict and was captured by Russian forces on the first day of the invasion in February 2022, experiencing heavy shelling in the process.
Most residents have since fled. Those who remain have faced severe food and medical shortages, with both sides accusing the other of obstructing the flow of supplies. Reports indicate that some residents have been forced to eat garden weeds to survive.
Melania Trump said the estimated 2,000 remaining residents who wish to leave will be transported to their "preferred destination", adding, "I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine."
She also stated that "an impartial American media organisation" will accompany both Russian and Ukrainian teams on the ground, though she did not identify the organisation. "This will play a significant role in ensuring that the wishes of each family are faithfully respected," she said.
Melania Trump had previously worked to reunify children seized by Russia during the war.
The announcement follows a Kremlin statement that it had agreed to resume US-mediated talks with Ukraine as early as next month, although both sides remain far apart on the terms of a possible deal.
The Trump administration has increased rhetorical pressure on Ukraine while simultaneously offering several concessions to Russia. Those concessions, according to the administration, include purchasing diesel from Russia and waiving some sanctions, measures described as aimed at reducing high fuel costs linked to the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
Separately, Ukraine has reported disruptions to its Starshield military satellite system, on which it relies heavily for air defence. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has since said an agreement has been reached to resolve the issues. Starshield is a version of the Starlink system operated under billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX.
