First Lady Melania Trump Announces End of Six-Day Truce in Oleshky
A temporary pause in fighting in southeastern Ukraine expired Sunday after a White House ceremony honoring the humanitarian effort.
By Jessica Abebe ·
The temporary ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky ended on Sunday.
The six-day pause allowed humanitarian aid to reach the city and enabled the evacuation of hundreds of residents. The agreement was formalized at a White House meeting hosted by First Lady Melania Trump. The event brought together officials from Russia and Ukraine to acknowledge the truce.
Kirill Dmitriev, a special envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, attended the ceremony. He stated that Putin personally instructed his team to ensure the ceasefire was implemented successfully. Dmitriev thanked the first lady on behalf of the Russian Federation for her role in resolving the humanitarian issue.
Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets presented Trump with the Order of Princess Olha, 1st Class. This is Ukraine’s highest award for women. Lubinets asked the first lady to continue her humanitarian work and support the people of Ukraine. Trump said the group chose humanity over war and hoped the event would inspire greater peace.
The White House views the meeting as a diplomatic step forward. Some European analysts expressed concern that the ceremony might normalize Russia’s conduct. Heather Conley, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, noted that the event honored the Russian side for allowing aid into a city they occupied and starved. She argued that creating equivalency between the two sides puts the crisis upside down.
President Donald Trump also met with Dmitriev at the White House. Trump told reporters that the sides were close to a major deal. He described the upcoming agreement as big and beautiful, saying it might involve all of Europe and thrill everyone involved.
The next round of peace talks led by the United States will take place in Abu Dhabi next week.
