Following the talks in Oslo on October 20, Davyd Arakhamia, head of the “Servant of the People” parliamentary faction and a member of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation, announced that there would soon be renewed progress on the humanitarian track. Indeed, on October 23, the White House reported that Ukraine and Russia would temporarily suspend hostilities to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of people from Oleshky.
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In particular, this was made possible thanks to the efforts of Melania Trump and the continuous dissemination of information about the humanitarian crisis.
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada’s Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke exclusively to 24 Channel about all the details of the evacuation and the potential risks. Read on for more.
How are preparations for the mission proceeding, and when does the ceasefire begin?
How many people are currently in the occupied town of Oleshky, and is there any contact with them now? Do they know that their suffering is about to end?
After Melania Trump's statement went viral and subsequent comments from representatives of Ukraine and Russia, the information quickly reached the citizens currently in Oleshky.
We can sense this because the number of people reaching out to our institution with questions has increased. Communication there isn’t very stable, so information is relayed through relatives who are in Ukraine.
It is they who contact us and ask for many technical details – in particular, when all of this will take place.
We are currently preparing a public announcement explaining how this will be carried out. Today, we are collecting all contact information and reaching out to each family individually. We’re finding out who wants to be included on the list, their age, their health status, what kind of assistance they need, and what documents they have.
All this information is being processed. We are currently working on the technical aspects. Today marks the third day since the start of the humanitarian mission. We haven’t yet summarized the results with the Russian side, but we plan to do so. Everything is proceeding fully in accordance with our agreements.
The day before yesterday during a prisoner exchange, we spent several hours finalizing negotiations with the Russian side, coordinated by the American side. Yana Lantratova, the head of the Russian negotiating team, was present, as was I. There were fairly large delegations from both sides.
We spent several hours going over the details, the text, and the implementation of this mission. On that day, both sides agreed on and signed the document. After that, Melania Trump issued a statement.
Representatives and spokespeople for the Armed Forces of Ukraine also commented, stating that a ceasefire would take effect at 3:00 a.m. on October 27. This marks the second phase of this humanitarian mission.
Notably, Russia issued an identical statement. The only difference is that, according to Moscow time, the ceasefire will begin at 4:00 a.m. However, this will be the same time for both sides.
What role did Melania Trump and her team play?
What guarantees are there that everything will go smoothly, and what are the risks? Who will ensure that, at the most critical moment – when people are moving or humanitarian aid is being delivered – everything proceeds safely? And why would Russia agree to this?
Who can actually guarantee the implementation of the agreements between Ukraine and Russia – that is the key question.
In our case, there is a third party that, in my view, has done a tremendous job of developing guarantees for the implementation of the agreements. That is the United States – specifically, Melania Trump and her dedicated team.
There are specific individuals there who are responsible for the agreements with Ukraine and for the agreements with Russia.
I won’t go into many details, but additional guarantees have been laid out and discussed to ensure that this process is as transparent as possible and that all parties have a stake in the full implementation of the document, so that the humanitarian mission concludes with the most positive outcome for the people.
The main guarantee from Russia is that they want to demonstrate to the United States their ability to honor commitments, provided they are established and guaranteed by the U.S. That is the key point.
Since the start of the full-scale aggression, this will be a unique humanitarian mission, one in which there are so many different factors influencing the implementation of the agreements.
There are separate components: the military aspect – that is, ensuring a ceasefire – the humanitarian component, various details, and the involvement of many representatives from all three sides.
As of today, I view the implementation of this agreement positively. I am convinced that this will lead to a positive outcome.
The widespread dissemination of information about Oleshky played an equally important role. For several months, since late February of this year, Ukraine has been speaking out about Oleshky, alerting the entire world to the humanitarian catastrophe.
We have constantly sought ways to resolve this humanitarian catastrophe, held direct negotiations with Russia, and seen many initiatives, perspectives, and projects from leaders of various countries.
However, all of this led to a positive resolution only when Melania Trump and her team personally joined the initiative in September. They took the initiative, and it is with them that we have established communication regarding humanitarian issues. Melania Trump is helping Ukraine bring children back from Russian territory.
Is there a risk that the Russians will open fire?
Will American representatives be present directly at the humanitarian mission’s site? And if the Russians try to exploit the ceasefire to improve their situation on the left bank, how will the Ukrainians respond?
This scenario was addressed immediately. Representatives from the security forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Russian army were already present in the negotiating groups.
It was specifically discussed and stipulated in the document that the ceasefire does not allow for the movement of military equipment or the delivery of supplies. Everything remains at its current positions.
The ceasefire is used to address technical matters: demining of areas – to physically reach Oleshky, deliver humanitarian aid and technical equipment for the hospital, and ensure the free departure of civilians.
Please note! In general, There will be 3 stages of the mission: the ceasefire, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and ensuring the free movement of civilians from Oleshky.
Once the humanitarian operation is complete, will the aid corridor remain open for people who decide to stay there?
You’ll see. We’ve agreed with the Russian and American sides that we’ll report on the results after each stage of this mission is completed.
As for whether U.S. citizens will be physically present there and whether it will still be possible to deliver humanitarian aid to those who remain in Oleshky – these are the main issues that have been worked out. New approaches have been found.
The only thing is that we’ve agreed not to disclose them publicly at this time. But you’ll find out everything. I’m convinced that this will be the first step toward applying a similar mechanism not only to Oleshky.
Dmytro Lubinets on the details of the humanitarian mission: watch the video
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