Melania Trump has expressed her appreciation for support from Pope Francis and has voiced hopes that a humanitarian mission in Oleshky will proceed as planned. In response to questions about Ukraine, she stated that a ceasefire is expected to begin on October 27.
“It’s wonderful to have the Pope’s support. And they are starting the ceasefire on October 27. I hope everything goes according to plan,” the First Lady said.
When asked if she had spoken with the illegitimate president of the aggressor nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin, or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Melania confirmed she had but did not provide further details.
President Donald Trump responded to Melania’s remarks, declaring, “She is simply better than our professionals.” He was queried about whether he would like the First Lady to take a more active role in these discussions.
“I think so. Would you like to get involved? I think she is doing better than the professionals right now. She has achieved a ceasefire, which is vital for children and the elderly,” he replied.
Context
- Oleshky was occupied in the early days of the full-scale war. According to Tetyana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky Military-Civil Administration, the last supply of food occurred on May 26. Due to mining, drone attacks, and a lack of safe routes, residents were unable to evacuate or receive humanitarian aid. On May 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine announced a humanitarian catastrophe in Oleshky and other occupied areas of Kherson region. As of September 13, locals and volunteers reported shortages of food and water, drone attacks on humanitarian convoys, and people struggling to survive off gardens.
- Initially, the occupiers denied the humanitarian crisis in the city, but eventually recognized it in the fall, blaming Ukraine for the situation.
- On October 16, Pope Francis reached out to Putin requesting a humanitarian truce to allow aid delivery to Oleshky, after which he discussed the issue with Zelenskyy.
- On October 23, the White House announced that through the mediation of Melania Trump, Ukraine and Russia agreed to halt hostilities in Oleshky to facilitate aid delivery and evacuation of residents. Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets confirmed the agreement, which includes a silence regime, humanitarian cargo delivery, and the free movement of civilians from the city. The ceasefire is set to begin on October 27 at 3:00 AM Kyiv time.
