Inside Melania Trump’s secret diplomatic role in the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal

First lady Melania Trump helped negotiate a local ceasefire around Oleshky, a Russian-occupied city in Ukraine’s Kherson region, so humanitarian aid can reach civilians and residents can leave safely. The agreement is significant because it creates a limited opportunity to assist people in a city near the front line, where Russian and Ukrainian forces have continued fighting.

The deal was signed in Belarus on 23 October by Russia’s and Ukraine’s human rights commissioners, and sets out plans for food, clean water, medicine and doctors to enter the city. Oleshky’s population has fallen from about 24,000 before the 2022 invasion to around 2,000, many of them elderly; Trump’s earlier work helping reunite 34 Ukrainian and Russian children had helped build trust with both governments.