Melania accused of taking all the credit and ignoring Pope Leo’s role in securing Ukraine ceasefire

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First Lady Melania Trump is being criticized for taking credit for securing a ceasefire in Ukraine without acknowledging Pope Leo XIV’s earlier efforts.

A ceasefire in Oleshky, a town in southern Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, will begin on October 29, the White House announced Friday. The agreement would allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of elderly residents.

Melania called the situation at Oleshky “disastrous” and “on the verge of disaster,” saying her intervention was crucial to sealing the deal, without mentioning Leo’s previous approaches to Russian and Ukrainian leaders.

“It was completely clear that without my intervention it would be impossible to deliver humanitarian aid to the city and evacuate the elderly,” she said in a statement.

President Donald Trump praised his wife’s role in the deal, saying she contacted both sides and both were willing to cooperate.

“What she wants to do is save children,” Trump said. “She does a very good job.”

The announcement sparked criticism online after the Vatican highlighted Pope Leo’s diplomatic efforts days before the ceasefire announcement. According to the Vatican, Leo contacted Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 16 and asked him to arrange a ceasefire to allow food and humanitarian aid to arrive in Oleshky.

The Kremlin confirmed Putin’s Oct. 16 call with the pope, saying he agreed to help protect residents and provide essential supplies.

The Vatican said Leo spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy three days later, and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin later credited the pope with starting the ceasefire effort.

Former Biden aide Chris Jackson accused the White House of crediting Melania while ignoring Pope Leo’s efforts.

“Pope Leo personally called Putin and Zelensky to press for a ceasefire in Ukraine,” Jackson wrote on Friday on X. “Now the Trump White House is trying to give credit to MELANIA TRUMP, completely ignoring the Pope’s efforts!”

Officials on both sides of the conflict also acknowledged the agreement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the ceasefire deal on Friday and thanked Melania for helping broker it.

Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets also confirmed the agreement and the first lady’s mediation, while Ukrainian official Davyd Arakhamia said the agreement was the result of a longer process involving both Melania and Pope Leo.

Although the Vatican did not endorse Melania’s claim that the deal would have been impossible without her intervention, it did acknowledge her efforts.

The dispute comes amid an increasingly public feud between Trump and Leo, who have clashed over the administration’s immigration policies and the war in Iran. The pope has repeatedly criticized the human cost of military action, while Trump has accused him of being weak on crime and foreign policy.

The feud intensified in April, when Trump attacked the pontiff on Truth Social after Leo criticized the war in Iran.

Trump also shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ, drawing backlash from critics, including some Christians.

Leo responded that he was not afraid of the Trump administration and would continue to advocate for peace, insisting that his message was rooted in the gospel rather than politics. Trump refused to apologize, saying the pope was wrong to criticize his Iran policies.