Melania Trump brokers Oleshky ceasefire as Starshield row continues

Melania Trump has helped to broker a localised ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in war-ravaged Ukrainian city Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians, the White House says.

The limited ceasefire is set to begin Thursday, local time, with the American first lady saying in a statement that the situation there is "on the brink of disaster".

It comes as tensions persist between Donald Trump's administration and Ukraine over Russian sanctions and restrictions to Elon Musk's Starshield satellite internet system that Kyiv relies on to knock down Moscow's attacks.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said restrictions were still in place, something Mr Trump has said is no longer true.

Mr Trump has maintained that he didn't make the call to throttle the system, while also saying Mr Musk should not be blamed. Vice-President JD Vance has hinted at White House coordination with Mr Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have denied any administration involvement.

The White House said Melania Trump had initiated discussions over the local ceasefire and that she and a representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms.

Once a city of about 24,000 residents, Oleshky was captured by Moscow's forces on the first day of their full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Its buildings were shelled and burnt and its infrastructure damaged. In June 2023, floodwaters inundated the city after the Kakhovka Dam collapsed from an explosion that an Associated Press investigation found was most likely caused by the Russian military. Hundreds of residents were killed.

Those left in the city along Ukraine's south-eastern front face death from hunger or disease as another harsh winter looms. Ukraine has appealed repeatedly for a local ceasefire to organise evacuations. Russia, as the occupying power, is obligated by international law to ensure civilians under its control have what they need to survive.

Melania Trump said in the White House news release that civilian leaders from Ukraine and Russia will visit Oleshky residents to determine the level of assistance they require.

"Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination," she said. "I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine."

She also said "an impartial American media organisation" would accompany and document Russian and Ukrainian teams throughout the process.

Ukraine's lead negotiator for the agreement thanked Mrs Trump and said the deal would be "extremely challenging to implement".

"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," Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, said in a video message posted online.

Russia's chief of the general staff, General Valery Gerasimov, said Russian forces would "cease fire on the Kherson axis" from 4am Tuesday, Moscow time, "in connection with the humanitarian operation near Oleshky".

The Russian forces would also carry out "engineering reconnaissance" and ensure "safe movement of the humanitarian convoy" into the city, General Gerasimov said.

Tensions between Washington and Kyiv simmer

Aside from an ongoing row over who has been responsible for the restriction of Starshield, Mr Trump also has recently waived new Russian sanctions and reached an agreement with Russia to import diesel.

He has also pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a deal to end the war that began in February 2022. In renewed efforts to revive the peace process, Mr Trump envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Norway this week for talks with Zelenskyy before meeting with Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Mr Zelenskyy did not mention the ceasefire in Oleshky during a remote appearance at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank, on Friday, US time. He did note that American Patriot missile interceptors were still on hold and Starshield and Starlink speed limits were still in place.

He also spoke of the importance of the United States to renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war, including a possible joint meeting with Mr Trump and Vladimir Putin.