Residents of the Russian-held town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine began evacuating on Friday as part of a joint relief operation by the two sides, the first of its kind in four years and eight months of war. Many questions have been asked about the humanitarian operation and its wider significance under a deal that US first lady Melania Trump was involved in brokering, with the additional involvement of Pope Leo. Besides the safe evacuation of many of Oleshky’s residents, Moscow and Kyiv are trying to use the operation to show US President Donald Trump they are serious about his efforts to secure an overall peace settlement.
Neither side wants to be blamed by Trump for something going wrong in Oleshky, an event that could burnish his self-professed credentials as a peacemaker before US midterm legislative elections.
But the two sides remain far apart on potential terms for ending the conflict in Ukraine, and there appears to be no immediate prospect of it ending. Both sides want to keep Trump engaged in the peace process, even if it is moving slowly, as even if Trump’s Republican Party performs badly in the midterms, he will be president for two more years and able to influence what is happening in Ukraine.
Moscow hopes Trump can pressure Kyiv into agreeing a deal that meets many of its conditions, such as full Russian control of Ukraine’s Donbas region and a bar on Ukraine joining Nato. Kyiv wants to ensure US intelligence sharing continues, along with full access to Elon Musk’s battlefield communications system Starshield, and that European-bought US military hardware, including Patriot interceptor missiles, continues to flow.
Moscow and Kyiv, keen to court the US president, have lavishly praised Melania Trump’s role in making the operation happen.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly recognised her importance in bringing about the ceasefire and aid operation, and Dmitry Peskov, his spokesman, cited her proven experience in reuniting children affected by the Ukraine conflict with their families as one of the reasons why Moscow agreed to the Oleshky operation. Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev has repeatedly taken to X to highlight her role in what is happening.
Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has paid tribute to Melania Trump too, saying Kyiv wanted to extend its “special thanks” to someone who was “personally devoting her time and attention to the humanitarian mission and assistance to civilians in Oleshky”. — Reuters