Oleshky truce appears to hold as two European leaders have ‘frank’ call with Putin
Frontline near Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine quiet for first time in years ahead of planned evacuation
TL;DR
- A local ceasefire is reportedly holding in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, southern Ukraine, allowing for the planned evacuation of about 2,000 civilians.
- The truce began Tuesday and is set to last until Sunday, marking a significant, albeit limited, de-escalation on the frontline.
- Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a direct phone call with Vladimir Putin to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
- The evacuation in Oleshky is framed as a humanitarian mission, potentially influenced by political considerations ahead of US midterm elections and trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.
- Residents in Oleshky face dire conditions, with a severe blockade and lack of food, and concerns remain about potential 'filtering' of evacuees by Russian officials.
- Despite the local ceasefire, Russia continued to bombard other parts of Ukraine, including Kyiv, resulting in casualties and infrastructure damage.
- European governments remain divided on the effectiveness of direct engagement with Putin, with some criticizing independent initiatives.
- Russia's peace terms remain hardline, demanding territorial concessions, while Ukraine is open to peace but will not recognize annexed lands as Russian.