First Lady Melania Trump reportedly played a role in arranging a partial ceasefire for the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, which is occupied by Russia. The pause runs through the weekend and allows humanitarian aid to enter and civilians to evacuate.
Alex Ward, a national security reporter for the Wall Street Journal, told Today, Explained that Melania Trump has worked on returning children kidnapped by Russia to Ukraine since the war began. However, Ward expressed skepticism about the extent of her influence on the Oleshky ceasefire, noting that both Ukraine and Russia have incentives to inflate her role.
The ceasefire covers only one city because that is all both sides agreed to, Ward said. He noted that the Trump administration, the Kremlin, and Kyiv are pointing to Oleshky as a potential model for a larger deal.
President Trump's administration has also pursued trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States aimed at ending the war. President Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated that the conflict could be called a ceasefire, a stop to killings, or a freeze. Putin has rejected such language, instead demanding a handover of territory his forces have been unable to conquer after nearly five years.
Trump waived tariff sanctions on Russia under the Graham bill, which had called for tariffs on countries purchasing Russian energy. Trump said he removed the economic punishments because otherwise Russia would not have released Americans it held hostage and other benefits might not have occurred.
Trump cited falling diesel prices as another reason for lifting sanctions on Russia, after Russia agreed to export diesel to the United States. However, Ward noted that analysts point to the Iran war as having a greater effect on diesel prices and that Russian diesel represents a small portion of the American and global markets.