Oleshky Truce Leaves Civilians Between War Powers

Ukraine and Russia said a humanitarian convoy was ready to leave Oleshky after evacuation routes were cleared of mines. The six-day localised ceasefire, brokered with the involvement of US First Lady Melania Trump, was due to allow civilians to depart. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the pause wouldn’t lead to a wider truce. “My answer would be very short. No.”

Evacuations were scheduled to continue until 2 pm local time on Friday, or 1 pm CEST, with aid distribution planned afterwards. But the terms of departure remain stark: concerns persist over civilians seeking to return to Ukrainian-controlled territory along a route involving occupied Crimea, Russia and Belarus. People trying to leave are caught inside a chain of state-controlled territory and permissions, while officials negotiate over what the ceasefire means.

A corridor under state control

Oleshky lies in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region and has been under Russian occupation since the early days of the full-scale invasion. Ukrainian and Russian officials confirmed on Thursday that crews had cleared the evacuation routes of mines and the convoy stood ready. The operation is local. Yatsenyuk rejected the suggestion that it could open a path to a broader agreement. Asked whether Russia would agree to a ceasefire, he replied: “No way.”

Yatsenyuk accused Moscow of treating remaining residents as hostages and presenting Russian forces as rescuers. He said the operation could serve as propaganda to win favour with the White House. “And in this way, they try actually to buy some kind of positive attitude from the White House. That's my take,” he said. Those are Yatsenyuk’s accusations; the article reports no independent assessment of them. He added: “There is no way to trust Russians, period.”

He said Washington had a particular responsibility to ensure civilians received assistance and could decide freely whether to return to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Addressing American journalists covering the operation, he said: “We kindly ask you folks to be journalists and to tell the truth, but not to parrot Russian propaganda.” His appeal placed independent reporting alongside the material question: whether people can get aid and choose where to go.

Negotiations, with civilians waiting

Officials were discussing further technical-level talks for November, potentially in Abu Dhabi. Yatsenyuk questioned whether Russia’s willingness to resume negotiations represented meaningful progress, accusing Moscow of using talks to buy time, circumvent sanctions and deepen divisions between Washington and its European allies. He said Vladimir Putin would accept only an agreement amounting to Ukraine’s capitulation and still sought to bring the whole of Ukraine under Russian control. Despite his pessimism, Yatsenyuk said Washington and Kyiv should keep pressing for an unconditional ceasefire.

He also warned against excluding European countries from negotiations over Ukraine’s future. Yatsenyuk said the EU’s financial support made it an indispensable participant and argued that Moscow opposed European involvement to weaken Western unity. Asked who should represent the EU, he said European governments should decide, suggesting Finnish President Alexander Stubb or European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “Who cares?” he said of Russian objections.

Yatsenyuk criticised recent diplomatic outreach to Vladimir Putin by Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, saying Moscow could read such calls as evidence of division. “Putin was really happy in getting this kind of telephone call because it is a sign of ruptures and fissures within the European Union,” he said. He also cited earlier efforts by French President Emmanuel Macron to engage directly with Putin. His prescription was coordination: “Europeans have to act in concert. We need to speak in one voice.” For Oleshky’s residents, the immediate test remains whether the convoy arrives and whether people can choose their destination.