Melania Trump and Pope Leo broker humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine's Oleshky

Melania Trump has brokered a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky, set to begin Oct. 29, the White House announced Friday, allowing humanitarian aid and civilian evacuations. The southern Ukrainian town, occupied since February 2022, faces a dire food crisis with a remaining population of 1,700 to 2,000, mostly elderly residents and about 50 children. The localized truce will permit non-military teams from both countries to visit homes and coordinate evacuations to either Russia or Ukraine. The accord, involving Pope Leo and Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia, follows a Russian pledge from Vladimir Putin to cooperate. Separately, Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. agreed to technical peace talks in Abu Dhabi in November, amid ongoing tensions over Starlink throttling and drone attacks on Moscow.