US first lady Melania Trump said yesterday that a localised ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia has been expanded beyond Oleshky to allow safe passage for humanitarian supplies.
“Timing was accelerated two days ahead of schedule to protect the safety of civilians and to facilitate the delivery of critical humanitarian aid,” she said in an X post.
“The ceasefire’s geographic area has expanded beyond Oleshky, within the Kherson Region, to provide safe passage for the humanitarian convoys.”
Meanwhile, the leaders of Finland and Norway phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday to urge him to end the war in Ukraine, breaking with a longstanding practice among Western European leaders of shunning direct contact with the Kremlin.
The call by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere was an attempt to influence the diplomatic process after US President Donald Trump shifted his position in favour of Russia and US ties with Ukraine hit their lowest point in 18 months.
Stoere said he and Stubb had spoken to Putin for about 90 minutes, and then to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
In a joint statement, they linked the initiative to planned peace discussions between Russian, Ukrainian and US officials in Abu Dhabi next month, their first since February.
Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on how to end the war that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and long-range air strikes by both sides have increased this year while battle lines have remained largely static.
“The discussion (with Putin) was frank and substantive. We are neighbouring countries to Russia. The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions,” Stubb said.
Stoere said he and Stubb had “stressed the importance of de-escalation.” Both voiced strong support for Ukraine.
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