Melania Trump aide reveals how she leveraged Putin, Zelenskyy ties to broker humanitarian ceasefire

WASHINGTON, DC: First lady Melania Trump helped secure a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine to enable humanitarian aid deliveries and the evacuation of elderly civilians trapped in the frontline town of Oleshky, her senior adviser Marc Beckman said on Saturday, October 24. 

The agreement followed discussions involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with both countries confirming the limited truce. The initiative aims to provide food, drinking water and medical assistance to residents of the Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s Kherson region.

Melania Trump uses Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy ties to broker humanitarian truce

Speaking on 'Fox & Friends Weekend', Beckman said that Melania had used relationships developed through her efforts to reunite Ukrainian children separated from their families during the war to bring Russian and Ukrainian representatives to the negotiating table.

"We have to look, as Americans, at our first lady with immense pride. She is completely revamping the role of first lady from somebody building policy awareness into action-oriented. She's saving lives," Beckman said.

"Yesterday, she brokered... single-handedly brokered a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine within the area of Oleshky," the FLOTUS’ adviser added, noting that Russia had agreed to extend the planned ceasefire by two days and expand it to a broader area of the Kherson region.

Since August 2025, Melania has helped facilitate six exchanges through which 34 Ukrainian children were returned to their families, Beckman claimed. He said that those efforts helped establish communication channels that could be used to negotiate the latest agreement.

"She was smart enough to realize that by leveraging the relationships — the strong relationships that she fostered over six unique moments in time for the reunification of Ukrainian and Russian children... by leveraging those relationships, she was able to bring everybody to the table and negotiate this ceasefire," Beckman said.

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

"Oleshky’s remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water," Melania 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," she added.

Melania also confirmed that the two countries would begin the ceasefire at 4 am Moscow time on October 27. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia welcome aid effort

Zelenskyy said Ukraine hoped the agreement would enable humanitarian assistance to reach residents and allow civilians to leave the combat zone.

“We hope that we will be able to carry out this humanitarian operation, to unblock Oleshky, provide access so that food and medicine can be delivered, and so that people can leave this combat zone,” the Ukrainian leader said, adding that Kyiv had been negotiating the arrangement for “some time.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also credited Melania with a “significant contribution” and said that the military was coordinating preparations for the humanitarian mission. 

President Donald Trump also praised his wife’s efforts, saying that both sides had cooperated with her. When asked whether she might participate in future trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine, the president responded, “No, but that’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”

Melania also teased that she may make a personal trip to Ukraine soon. The first lady told the New York Post, "We will see," when asked if she would travel to the war-torn country.