Melania Trump says she secured a one-city ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for humanitarian aid

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

First lady Melania Trump announced on Friday that she helped secure a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the city of Oleshky to facilitate the humane evacuation of elderly residents.

Trump worked directly with Ukrainian and Russian leadership as the “exclusive intermediary” and initiated discussions to secure the terms of the ceasefire agreement, which begins on October 29, according to a press release from the first lady’s office.

“Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster. Oleshky’s remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water,” Trump said in a statement. “The people of Oleshky have limited electricity, live amid mined roads, and endure regular military attacks. It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible.”

“Non-military, civilian leaders from both countries will work together to visit Oleshky residents in their homes and determine the level of assistance they require. 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 some to Ukraine,” she added.

The first lady’s office said that the circumstances of Oleshky came to her attention during a private discussion at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Communication lines were already opened, given Trump has been involved with the reunification of children that have been separated from their families due to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Trump added that she “secured an impartial American media organization to accompany and document Russian and Ukrainian teams on the ground throughout the process.”

马克·谢费尔贝因/美联社

美国第一夫人梅拉尼娅·特朗普周五宣布，她帮助促成了俄罗斯和乌克兰在奥列什基市的局部停火，以便人道地疏散老年居民。

据第一夫人办公室发布的新闻稿称，特朗普作为“独家中间人”直接与乌克兰和俄罗斯领导人合作，并启动了讨论，以确保停火协议的条款，该协议将于10月29日生效。

“奥列什基是一座处于灾难边缘的前线战城。奥列什基剩余的居民主要是老年人，他们急需医疗救助、药品、食物和清洁饮用水，”特朗普在一份声明中说。“奥列什基的居民电力供应有限，生活在布满地雷的道路上，并且经常遭受军事袭击。显而易见，如果没有我的干预，向该市运送人道主义援助物资和疏散老年人是不可能的。”

“两国非军事、文职领导人将共同走访奥列什基居民，了解他们的需求。希望撤离的居民将获得协调一致的支持和交通安排，前往他们选择的目的地。我预计有些人会想去俄罗斯，有些人会想去乌克兰，”她补充道。

第一夫人办公室表示，她是在纽约举行的第81届联合国大会期间的一次私人会谈中了解到奥列什基的情况的。

鉴于特朗普一直致力于帮助因俄罗斯对乌克兰的战争而与家人分离的儿童团聚，沟通渠道早已开通。

特朗普补充说，她“确保了一家公正的美国媒体机构全程跟随并记录俄罗斯和乌克兰的实地团队”。