Melania or the pope: Who brokered Russia-Ukraine ceasefire in Oleshky?
Competing claims over the ceasefire mark the latest tensions between the White House and the Vatican.
A critical localised ceasefire in Ukraine that promises to help more than 1,000 civilians has set off an unlikely contest over who brokered the truce.
The White House insists that United States’ First Lady Melania Trump mediated 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 narrative, suggesting that the pope was responsible for helping the pause in fighting through phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“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,” said Melania.