Oleshky humanitarian truce to last until Sunday

MOSCOW — The humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, a town in the Kherson region, will remain in effect until 10:59 pm Moscow time on Sunday, Russia's Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said on Tuesday.

The ceasefire agreement was being fully implemented, with no violations reported, Lantratova was quoted by local media as saying. She said maintaining the truce was important for providing assistance to local residents.

Oleshky is located on the left bank of the Dnieper River, opposite the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson. The town has faced a severe humanitarian situation, with residents reportedly experiencing worsening shortages of food and other essential supplies amid continuous fighting.

Last week, Russia and Ukraine agreed to a temporary ceasefire in the area to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky would be set up "very soon."

"There'll be a meeting set up very soon and I think a lot of progress could be made," Trump told reporters.

Meanwhile, Putin discussed the settlement of the Ukraine conflict in a telephone conversation with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

"It was emphasized that the achievement of a just, long-term peace is possible only with full and unconditional consideration of the legitimate interests of the Russian Federation," the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin drew attention to the confrontational policy of the European Union and NATO countries, which led to the prolongation of the conflict, it said.

Stubb called the discussion "frank and substantive", saying Finland and Norway would be directly affected by the outcome of the conflict, as would broader European security.

"Ending the war requires direct discussions," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he had spoken by phone with Stubb and Store.

"Alex and Jonas made it clear to the Russian leader that real de-escalatory steps are needed regarding our energy and infrastructure," Zelensky said on X.

Their discussions included preparations for a trilateral meeting involving Ukrainian, United States and Russian teams scheduled for November, and possible formats for Ukraine's cooperation with European partners on diplomacy, defense and shared security.

XINHUA-AGENCIES