Melania or the Pope: who negotiated the Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire in Olechky? | Russia-Ukraine War

A critical localized ceasefire in Ukraine, which promises to help more than 1,000 civilians, has sparked an unlikely competition over who brokered the truce.

The White House insists that US First Lady Melania Trump brokered the ceasefire in Oleshky between Russia and Ukraine, after weeks of increasingly alarming reports from the town warning of a growing humanitarian crisis.

But the Vatican has offered its own account, suggesting the pope was responsible for the pause in fighting through phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Here’s what we know about the Oleshky ceasefire and why the divergent versions of what led to the truce matter:

What is the ceasefire for?

Russia captured the southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky in the Kherson region at the start of the invasion in February 2022, and has maintained control of it since.

But the town suffered extensive war damage and was later hit by flooding after the destruction of the nearby Kakhovka Dam in 2023.

Those remaining in the town, which the United States estimates has a population of 1,700 to 2,000, have reported severe shortages of food, medicine and other supplies, according to residents and authorities.

Then, on October 23, a brief ceasefire was announced. Ukrainian and Russian officials said the pause in fighting around Olechky would allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of those wishing to leave the Russian-occupied town.

They added that humanitarian corridors would be established to enable the delivery of aid.

Both sides said the ceasefire, which is expected to end on Sunday, does not constitute a complete end to hostilities. Multiple diplomatic efforts to end the war have so far failed.

The Kremlin nevertheless said on Monday that the truce could set a precedent for similar localized ceasefires in the future.

On Telegram, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had stopped its bombing raids towards the Ukrainian city of Kherson from 4 a.m. Moscow time (0100 GMT) on Tuesday to prepare for the effort at Oleshky.

“As head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, I confirm that the Ukrainian side is honoring its commitments,” Dmytro Lubinets, Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a Facebook post confirming Russia’s timing of stopping its negotiations.

What did Melania and the White House say?

Announcing the ceasefire on Friday, US first lady Melania Trump said the situation in the city was “dire” and that it was “on the brink of disaster”.

“Residents of Oleshky have little electricity, live among mined roads and regularly face military attacks. It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the ability to deliver humanitarian aid to the town and evacuate the elderly would be impossible,” she said in a statement released by the White House.

He adds that Melania and her representatives worked closely with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to define the terms of the ceasefire.

“Non-military civilian leaders from both countries will work together to visit Olechky residents in their homes and determine the level of assistance they need. Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia and others to Ukraine,” Melania said.

Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, also publicly thanked the first lady and her team for helping coordinate the negotiations. Russian officials confirmed the deal.

What does the Vatican say?

The day after the White House announcement, the Vatican published an article on the front page of its official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano. The title: Humanitarian truce for Oleshky.

The article points out that the ceasefire was achieved after Pope Leo spoke with Russian and Ukrainian leaders, urging them to accept a pause in fighting to help save trapped civilians.

Pope Leo spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 16 and expressed his “deep concern about the serious humanitarian situation in the town of Oleshky,” adding that he called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance.

The pontiff made the phone call while he was in hospital recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his lung.

Three days later, on October 19, Pope Leo also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the situation in Oleshky.

The pope’s special envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, pressed Russian authorities on conditions at Oleshky during a visit to Moscow in late September.

Hasn’t Trump already had dealings with the Pope?

US President Donald Trump and Pope Leo have a tense relationship.

Pope Leo, the first American pope in history, criticized Trump’s decision to launch war in Iran, saying it violated Catholic moral principles of a “just war.”

In April, responding to Leo’s criticism, Trump said the pope was “weak on crime, weak on nuclear weapons” and that he would not have been elected pope if Trump had not been president – ​​claiming, without evidence, that his presidency helped Leo hold the position.

“Leo should get his act together as pope, show some common sense, stop serving the radical left and focus on being a great pope, not a politician. This hurts him a lot and, more importantly, it hurts the Catholic Church!” Trump wrote about Truth Social at the time.

Does this matter for the US midterm elections?

Among Catholics, Trump’s popularity is low. Refusing to mention the pope’s role in Oleshky’s ceasefire probably won’t help him.

The midterm elections, scheduled for next week, often reflect the performance of the sitting president as voters decide whether Trump’s Republicans can retain control of Congress.

A Pew Research Center study conducted between September 28 and October 4 suggests that Trump’s approval rating among Catholics fell from 47% at the start of his second term in January 2025 to just 30% in October 2026. As many as 20% of American adults identify as Catholic.

Among white Catholics, Trump’s popularity fell from 59 to 39 percent, while among Hispanic Catholics it collapsed from 31 to 18 percent.