Melania Trump Brokers Ukraine Ceasefire, Reunites Families
For 1,711 days, Dmytro counted the days since he had last seen his wife Larisa. Then, on October 31, 2026, the counting stopped. The 54-year-old stood near the Ukraine–Belarus border watching a bus roll in carrying evacuees from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky — and there she was. What happened next, witnessed by CNN cameras, was pure joy: he kissed her over and over and held her as if he would never let go.
A Ceasefire That Opened the Road Home
Hundreds of people — along with many pets — arrived back in Ukrainian-controlled territory on Saturday, evacuated from the frontline city under a ceasefire that Pope Leo XIV called for and first lady Melania Trump helped to negotiate. The journey had been long and frightening: after a two-day demining operation, evacuees traveled through Crimea to Anapa in Russia’s Krasnodar region, flew to Gomel in Belarus, and finally crossed into Ukraine by bus. Strangers lined the road for miles, waving Ukrainian flags as the convoy arrived.
Zelensky and the World Say Thank You
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the arrivals on Telegram and publicly thanked Trump for her help with the mediation, writing that when the world pays attention, people are saved. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, personally traveled to Oleshky to escort the evacuees — the first high-profile Ukrainian official to openly travel into Russian-controlled territory since the war began. He called the operation extremely difficult but said it created a unique positive experience of negotiating with the Russian side with Mrs. Trump’s coordination. After the ceasefire ended on November 1, Lubinets confirmed that both sides had honored their commitments, and Ukraine’s army evacuated another 167 people from parts of the Kherson region under daily shelling — including 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility.
Rescued From Starvation
The rescue came none too soon. Ukrainian authorities reported that Oleshky had run out of food and supplies in September, with no electricity, gas, or medicine. Evacuees told CNN there had been no food deliveries to the town since the summer; one woman said she had not eaten bread in more than a year and survived on vegetables she had planted herself. Larisa had lost a third of her body weight under the occupation. Dr. Andriy Zhydenko, who waited at the border with hospital staff, warned that the evacuees would need to be fed carefully, because eating too much too quickly after long starvation can be dangerous. Despite everything, evacuees spoke of relief: “It was like I’d escaped from hell,” one man said. “I’ve never felt better in my life.”
“Raise Humanity Above War”
On X, Melania Trump wrote that “Oleshky proves we can raise humanity above war,” adding: “On behalf of America, I commend Russia and Ukraine for their leadership and cooperation surrounding the Oleshky ceasefire.” She said she hopes Oleshky serves as a foundation for lasting peace between both nations. Lubinets said his goal is to keep the cooperation mechanism alive, noting that many villages face the same shortages of food and medicine. For Dmytro and Larisa, peace has already arrived — in the form of an embrace 1,711 days in the making.
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