White House Announces Oleshky Truce for Oct. 29

The White House confirmed on Friday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a temporary cessation of hostilities in the city of Oleshky. The agreement is scheduled to take effect on Oct. 29, creating a window for humanitarian assistance and civilian evacuation. Officials attributed the arrangement to the direct efforts of First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo.

A White House statement detailed the terms of the localized truce, which requires both nations to halt all military actions within the city. This pause is designed to allow aid convoys to enter and to prepare a safe passage for civilians wishing to leave. The statement noted that Melania Trump and her representatives worked directly with leadership from both sides to finalize the specific terms of the deal.

In the written remarks, Melania Trump described the conditions in the front-line city as dire. She stated that the remaining population consists primarily of elderly individuals who require immediate medical care, food, and clean water. The announcement emphasized that the truce is a critical step to address the worsening food crisis reported by residents.

Under the new agreement, non-military teams from both countries will enter the city to visit residents in their homes. These teams will help arrange transport for anyone seeking to evacuate to either Ukraine or Russia. The White House reported that Oleshky, located across the Dnipro River from Kherson, currently holds between 1,700 and 2,000 residents. This figure includes approximately 50 children, a sharp decline from a pre-war population of roughly 24,000.

The White House also provided data on the physical state of the city, noting that about 90 percent of the area is flooded. This inundation followed the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. David Arakhamia, Ukraine's chief negotiator, confirmed the plan on Telegram, stating that the humanitarian operation will begin once the ceasefire is fully established. He described the accord as the result of a lengthy process involving both the First Lady and the Pope.

The Kremlin indicated that the evacuation process would require at least a few days to complete. Russian officials praised Melania Trump's role and noted that work is already underway to improve conditions in the city. This diplomatic effort followed a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pope Leo last week, in which Putin expressed readiness to cooperate on the issue. Valery Gerasimov, the Russian Chief of the General Staff, announced that Russian forces will cease firing from 4 a.m. local time on Oct. 27 to support the upcoming operation.

In a separate development, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that technical-level talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are planned for Abu Dhabi in the first half of November. Zelenskyy told the Hudson Institute that he had spoken with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff after their recent meeting with Putin. He stressed that any future peace agreement must include strong security guarantees and ten years of funding for the Ukrainian army.

These announcements come after a period of intense criticism from European allies and members of both major U.S. political parties regarding American involvement in the conflict. President Trump recently struck a deal with Putin to import diesel and announced a ceasefire on energy attacks, although Russia has continued its strikes. On Oct. 14, Zelenskyy noted that SpaceX had restricted Starlink service, a move Ukrainian officials say hampers drone defense. Fighting continued on Friday, with Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport briefly suspending operations due to a drone threat. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that air defenses downed 21 drones over the capital in two hours. Additionally, the two sides exchanged 270 prisoners each. Anton Kovalskyi, Ukraine's acting prosecutor general, stated that more than 19,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since the invasion began, including 762 children.