Oleshky truce appears to hold as two European leaders have ‘frank’ call with Putin

A local ceasefire in a southern Ukrainian city under Russian occupation appeared to be holding on Tuesday, with both sides ceasing drone attacks, ahead of an apparent evacuation of about 2,000 trapped and desperate civilians.

The temporary truce began at 3am in Russian-controlled Oleshky. The city sits on the Dnipro River and is about 3 miles from Kherson, a larger city on the opposite bank. Ukrainian troops recaptured Kherson in autumn 2022.

Witnesses reported that the deadly frontline across the river was quiet for the first time in four years. The pause in fighting is due to last until 11pm on Sunday, Ukrainian officials said, and represents a significant if limited moment of de-escalation.

Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb, and Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, held what they described as a “frank and substantive” phone call with Vladimir Putin about efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Støre indicated afterwards that big differences remained.

The two Nordic leaders said the call – a rare instance of direct contact between Putin and western leaders – was linked to upcoming talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US, expected to take place in Abu Dhabi next month.

The ceasefire in Oleshky appears to be an attempt by the Kremlin to curry favour with Donald Trump ahead of the trilateral meeting and next week’s US midterm elections. The first lady, Melania Trump, requested the humanitarian mission, the White House has said, and an evacuation is due to begin on Thursday or Friday. Calls for a ceasefire had also been issued by Pope Leo XIV, the United Nations, EU officials and the Council of Europe.

Between 1,500 and 2,000 people in the city have been living under a complete blockade by Russia. The last delivery of food to stores was in May, and many people are now starving and eating weeds. The Ukrainian military has airdropped food using drones. Locals say Russian security forces detain anyone who takes it.

Russian soldiers have mined roads and use ruined buildings to coordinate round-the-clock strikes against Kherson. Some Oleshky residents have managed to escape, walking or cycling past bodies lying on the street and the burnt-out shells of numerous vehicles.

Ukrainian observers say the Kremlin is planning a major propaganda tour this week in which Kyiv is blamed for Oleshky’s destruction. Trump-supporting US media channels have been invited to witness the evacuation, in which buses will take residents to occupied Crimea and Russia.

The ceasefire does not extend to other parts of Ukraine. Overnight, Russia bombarded Kyiv with drones and ballistic missiles, killing at least one person and injuring 15. It hit a university campus, wounding students, as well as a bridge over the Dnipro and metro infrastructure. Ten other regions came under fire.

The bridge remains closed to traffic, with some commuters walking across it to get to work. Writing on social media, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia “must stop dragging out this war” and said he welcomed European attempts to end it.

He said Stubb and Støre had briefed him on their call with Putin. “Alex and Jonas clearly conveyed to the Russian leadership the need for genuine steps towards de-escalation, particularly when it comes to our energy sector and infrastructure,” Zelenskyy wrote.

The Finnish-Norwegian initiative comes amid growing efforts by some European nations to establish a direct channel of communication with Moscow and secure a stronger European voice in negotiations. Stubb and Støre said they took part in the call as leaders of their respective countries and were not speaking on behalf of Europe as a whole.

European governments remain divided over whether direct engagement with Putin is worthwhile, at a time when Russia’s maximalist demands remain stubbornly unchanged. There is little agreement on who should lead such talks. Stubb is seen by some EU officials as a potential candidate.

The divisions were laid bare shortly after news of the call emerged, when Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, criticised the move. “I am very sceptical about this independent initiative by Norway and Finland. It was not agreed with any of us,” Frederiksen said.

She added: “I see no signs that Russia wants peace with Europe – neither in the hybrid warfare it wages every day, nor in Ukraine, where brutal and aggressive strikes continue daily, claiming many lives.”

Earlier this month Putin said he was willing to resume peace negotiations but only on Russia’s hardline terms. They include the handover of the entire eastern Donbas region, including parts Russia has been unable to seize since 2014, as well as further territory in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces.

Last week Zelenskyy said he was open to a peace agreement that would freeze the war along the current frontlines. “Yes, we are ready to stop this war as soon as possible,” he said in an interview with ABC News. He made clear that Ukraine would not recognise land seized and occupied by Russia as Russian.