Russia is using the local ceasefire in the Ukrainian town of Oleshki as an example of US President Donald Trump's humanitarian approach. Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for foreign investment and economic cooperation and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said the European Union and Britain have something to learn from this model.
„The humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshki, coordinated by first lady Melania Trump, is coming into effect. President Trump and his team are working to promote a humanitarian approach and peacemaking at the expense of inciting war,“ Dmitriev wrote on the social network X.
He then added: “EU and UK bureaucrats have a lot to learn from this approach.“
The ceasefire is limited to Oleshki
Russia and Ukraine have reached an agreement on a local ceasefire in Oleshki. The goal is to deliver humanitarian aid to the town and allow people who need help or want to leave the area to be evacuated.
According to the White House, Melania Trump helped to reach the agreement between the two sides. The US administration presented the agreement as a temporary measure related to the delivery of food, medicine and other aid to the civilian population.
The town is on the front line
Oleshki is located on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson region, opposite the city of Kherson, which is under the control of Ukrainian forces. The settlement is on the front line and is experiencing an acute shortage of food and medicine.
Russian troops captured Oleshki in the first days of the full-scale war in February 2022. Since then, the city has been under Russian control. The agreed ceasefire is limited to the area and does not constitute a general truce between Russia and Ukraine.
Against this background, Dmitriev's statement emphasizes the role of Washington and Melania Trump in the specific humanitarian operation. According to the Russian side, the model should be preferred to policies that Moscow defines as encouraging the continuation of the war.
Sources: news.bg, apnews.com, investing.com