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Russia and Ukraine agree a local ceasefire in occupied Oleshky, brokered by Melania Trump, as talks are planned for November

Russia and Ukraine agreed a localised ceasefire around the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, which the White House says Melania Trump helped broker so aid can reach a town hit by a food crisis. It covers one town, not the wider front.

L 46% · C 15% · R 39% · 41 outlets

Left 2 · Centre-left 17 · Centre 6 · Centre-right 6 · Right 10

Sources by leanFollow the moneyMore coverage

How each side framed it

Left-leaning outlets

Scepticism about scale: 'claims to have secured ceasefire for single Ukrainian town' (Independent), 'says she secured a one-city ceasefire' (CNN).

Centre outlets

Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Russia, Ukraine agree to ceasefire in Ukrainian city hit by food crisis, brokered by Melania Trump” (Reuters); “Russia and Ukraine agree to temporary ceasefire around occupied town of Oleshky” (Financial Times).

Right-leaning outlets

Achievement: 'Melania Trump secures town-wide Russia-Ukraine ceasefire' (Telegraph), 'brokers ceasefire in besieged Ukrainian town' (The Times).

Holding the paradox

Agreed facts

Russia and Ukraine agreed a localised ceasefire around Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town hit by a food crisis, so that aid can get in. The White House says Melania Trump helped broker it.

Where claims conflict

Whether it is a meaningful step towards peace or a one-town humanitarian pause; the role of the first lady is described by the White House and repeated rather than independently confirmed.

What each side is protecting

Left: honesty about scale, so a single pause isn't sold as peace. Right: credit where a real result was delivered.

Common ground

Both accept aid reaching starving civilians in Oleshky is good.

The paradox

The smallest ceasefire of the war may be the only one both sides have actually signed.

The bridge

Shared question: can a town-sized truce that works be copied, rather than argued over?

Sources by lean

Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.

Left 3

Centre 3

Right 3

Showing 3 from each side of 41 rated outlets (L 19 / C 6 / R 16). More coverage

Follow the money

Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.

Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (41 outlets)
OutletLeanOwnership & funding (MBFC)
Daily BeastLeftThe Daily Beast’s parent company is IAC (InterActiveCorp). which is run by Barry Diller, who had led the creation of the Fox network. IAC’s CEO is Joey Levin. IAC (InterActiveCorp) is a media and Internet company comprised of some of the world’s well-known brands, such as HomeAdvisor, Vimeo, About.com, Dictionary.com, Investopedia, and more. source
HuffPostLeftHuffPost is owned by BuzzFeed, Inc., a publicly traded digital media company based in New York. In November 2020, BuzzFeed acquired HuffPost from Verizon Media Group, with Verizon becoming a minority shareholder. In February 2021, BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti took charge of the combined properties. source
Al JazeeraCentre-leftAl Jazeera is owned and funded by the state of Qatar. The founder and Chairman of the Board is Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family, the House of Thani. According to a Fortune article, i n 2016, state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera laid off 500 workers due to Qatar’s financial troubles resulting from low global prices for oil and natural gas. source
Associated PressCentre-leftThe Associated Press (AP) is a nonprofit news cooperative with a profit of $1.6 million in 2016. It also sells content to other media organizations. According to an article titled “ AP reports loss on one-time accounting charges,” t he Associated Press lost $74 million in 2017, and it states the reason as “mostly due to one-time accounting charges related to the federal tax overhaul passed late last year.” source
CNBCCentre-leftCNBC is owned by NBC Universal, which Comcast owns. Comcast’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Brian L. Roberts, founded by his father, Ralph J. source
CNNCentre-leftNo ownership data found
Daily MirrorCentre-leftBritish Publishing Company Reach plc (formerly Trinity Mirror) owns The Daily Mirror. Revenue is generated through digital advertising, print ads, and subscription fees. source
EuronewsCentre-leftEuronews is owned by Alpac Capital, a Portugal-based investment fund that acquired an 88% stake in July 2022, with the remaining 12% held by government-supported broadcasters from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Ownership also has business ties with Hungary’s Viktor Orban. source
NBC NewsCentre-leftNo ownership data found
New York TimesCentre-leftThe Ochs-Sulzberger family controls the New York Times through Class B shares. Since 1967, the company has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYT. Class B shares are those that are held privately. source
PoliticoCentre-leftOn 8/26/2021, German publisher Axel Springer purchased Politico for a reported 1 billion dollars. Axel Springer owns numerous publications, including Bild, Business Insider, and Fakt. Politico has a subscription-based service called Politico Pro, launched in 2010 for professionals, such as lobbyists and analysts, which provides policy intelligence coverage on technology, energy, and other sectors. source
The GuardianCentre-leftThe Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source
The Herald (Scotland)Centre-leftThe Glasgow Herald is published by Herald & Times Group, which is owned by Newsquest Media Group Ltd. Newsquest is the second-largest publisher in the United Kingdom, publishing 205 brands including 165 newspapers. Further, Newsquest is owned by US-based Gannett which publishes USA Today. source
The IndependentCentre-leftThe Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source
The National (Scotland)Centre-leftThe National is operated by Newsquest Media Group Ltd., a UK-based local media publisher. Newsquest is a wholly owned subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc., the media company formerly known as Gannett Company, which also controls AZthe USA TODAY Network of national and local news outlets in the United States and regional titles in the United Kingdom. Revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales source
Times of IsraelCentre-leftThe Times of Israel is co-owned by David Horovitz and Seth Klarman. Revenue is generated through advertising..push({}); source
USA TodayCentre-leftUSA Today is owned by the Gannett Company, headquartered in McLean, Virginia. It is one of the largest newspaper publishers in the United States, with interests in newspapers, digital marketing services companies, and television broadcasting. Subscriptions and advertising generate revenue. source
Washington PostCentre-leftIn 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million. Bezos is a frequent target of Trump, who has accused the businessman of using the Postal System as its “ Delivery Boy. ” The newspaper’s executive editor, Martin Baron, said Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon, is not involved in its news coverage. source
Ynet NewsCentre-leftYedioth Ahronoth owns Ynetnews. Advertising derives revenue. source
BBC NewsCentreThe BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source
Financial TimesCentreThe Financial Times is owned by The Nikkei, a Japanese news and financial information company that publishes the leading financial paper, The Nikkei. The FT generates revenue through subscriptions, a hard paywall, and advertising..push({}); source
France 24CentreFrance 24 is owned by France Médias Monde, a state-owned French holding company that supervises and coordinates the activities of the major public media organizations broadcasting or publishing internationally from France. Besides government funding, they also generate revenue through advertising. source
News24CentreMedia24 owns and publishes News24.com. They publish several magazines, newspapers, and online publications in South Africa. Advertising and subscription fees generate revenue. source
ReutersCentreIn April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source
The HillCentreIn 2021, The Hill was purchased by Nexstar, which owns around 200 TV stations and media outlets nationwide. The founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Nexstar is Perry A. Sook. source
CBS NewsCentre-rightCBS News is owned by Paramount Global, which was formerly controlled by National Amusements, Inc., the holding company of the Redstone family. In 2025, Paramount entered into a merger agreement with Skydance Media, effectively ending the Redstones’ majority control. CBS News generates revenue primarily through advertising and affiliate broadcasting fees..push({}); source
ITV NewsCentre-rightNo ownership data found
Jerusalem PostCentre-rightIn 1989, the paper was purchased by Hollinger Inc. for $17-million, which Canadian-born British Conservative Conrad Black owned. Conrad Black later was charged with “swindling his company, Hollinger International, of $60 million.” He was serving a prison sentence; however, in 2019, President Donald Trump pardoned him. source
New York PostCentre-rightThe New York Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, which owns many conservative/sensational media outlets worldwide. The paper is funded through advertising, subscriptions, and newsstand sales. source
The TimesCentre-rightThe Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source
Washington TimesCentre-rightOperations Holdings Inc is the Washington Times owner, owned by the Unification Church of South Korea, through their holding company HSA-UWC (Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity). In 1954, Reverend Sun Myung Moon founded this religious movement in South Korea, known for its mass weddings, and its members are referred to as “Moonies.” source
BreitbartRightAfter the death of Andrew Breitbart in 2012, Larry Solov became CEO and president of Breitbart News. In 2017, according to Politico, Larry Solov revealed the owner of Breitbart as “himself, founder Andrew Breitbart’s widow, Susie Breitbart, and the Republican mega-donor family, the Mercers.” Further, Solov also stated that he wants “to disclose as little as possible about financial and ownership structure.” source
Daily ExpressRightThe Daily Express is owned by Reach plc (formerly known as Trinity Mirror), a British newspaper, magazine, and digital publisher. Subscriptions, newsstand sales, and advertising generate revenue. source
Daily MailRightThe Daily Mail is published by Associated Newspapers Limited, part of Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT). DMGT is controlled by the Rothermere family and is 100% owned by Rothermere Continuation Limited. Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere, serves as Chairman..push({}); DMGT became privately owned after delisting from the London Stock Exchange in 2022. source
Daily WireRightBentkey Ventures, LLC (formerly Forward Publishing, LLC) owns the Daily Wire, which was heavily backed and co-founded by fossil fuel billionaires Farris and Dan Wilks. The platform generates revenue through a hybrid model combining premium digital subscriptions via DailyWire+, targeted advertising, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce. source
Fox NewsRightRupert Murdoch is the owner and a board member of News Corp 21st Century Fox. According to Reuters, James Murdoch (son) was chief executive of 21st Century Fox and left in May 2018. L achlan (the other son of Murdoch) and Rupert Murdoch will serve as the new Fox co-chairman. source
GB NewsRightGB News lacks transparency as they do not disclose ownership. A search reveals that London-based ALL Perspectives Ltd owns GB News. According to Reuters, the television channel “secured millions of dollars from investors such as Discovery Inc, Legatum and hedge fund manager Paul Marshall. source
NewsmaxRightNewsmax is owned by publicly traded Newsmax Inc., which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol NMAX on March 31, 2025. The company completed a $75 million public offering after previously raising approximately $225 million through a preferred-stock offering. source
The BlazeRightBlaze Media LLC owns and operates the platform, which was founded by Glenn Beck and merged with CRTV in 2018 to expand its conservative media reach. Funding is generated almost exclusively through direct consumer revenue from its premium video streaming and ad-free digital news subscriptions. source
The SunRightThe Sun is published by the News Group Newspapers division of News UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The paper generates revenue through advertising, newsstand sales, and subscriptions. source
The TelegraphRightTelegraph Media Group (TMG) owns The Telegraph, which is owned by Press Acquisitions Ltd., which in turn is owned by Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. In 2004, Twin Brothers Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay acquired the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph from the Canadian media company Hollinger Inc. for £665 million. For a complete list of Board members, see here. source