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U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to suspend attacks on Kyiv for one week as Ukraine faces frigid temperatures, though Russia has not confirmed the agreement.
“I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this extraordinary cold,” Trump said during a White House Cabinet meeting. “A lot of people said, ‘Don’t waste the call. You’re not going to get that.’ And he did it. And we’re very happy that they did it.”
When asked about a potential pause in strikes on energy infrastructure, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the matter, providing no corroboration of Trump’s claim.
The reported agreement comes as Ukraine braces for a brutal cold snap, with temperatures expected to plummet to as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit) in early February according to the State Emergency Service. Kyiv has already endured severe power shortages this winter due to Russian attacks on critical infrastructure.
Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine’s energy facilities throughout the conflict, a strategy Ukrainian officials describe as “weaponizing winter” to wear down civilian resistance. These attacks have left many Ukrainians without heat, electricity, and running water during the harshest months of the year.
Despite diplomatic efforts, the violence continues. A Russian drone strike overnight killed three people in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, causing a major fire in an apartment building. In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were injured in separate attacks as firefighters worked through the night to extinguish blazes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia is preparing for another large-scale aerial assault. Previous major attacks have involved more than 800 drones alongside cruise and ballistic missiles, primarily targeting Ukraine’s power grid.
“Every single Russian strike discredits the peace talks,” Zelenskyy said late Wednesday, casting doubt on Moscow’s commitment to upcoming U.S.-brokered negotiations scheduled for Sunday.
European Union diplomat Kaja Kallas echoed these concerns, accusing Russia of not taking the negotiations seriously. “We see them increasing their attacks on Ukraine because they can’t make moves on the battlefield. So, they are attacking civilians,” Kallas said during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
European leaders have expressed anxiety about being sidelined in the peace process, which has been primarily led by the Trump administration over the past year. They fear their security concerns may not be adequately addressed in any settlement.
The human toll of the conflict continues to mount. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, 2023 was the deadliest year for Ukrainian civilians since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with 2,514 killed and 12,142 injured—a 31% increase from the previous year.
A recent international think tank report suggests the total number of soldiers killed, injured, or missing on both sides could reach 2 million by spring. Russia is reportedly sustaining the largest number of troop deaths for any major power in any conflict since World War II.
In a grim exchange, Ukrainian authorities reported receiving approximately 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war, while Russia received the remains of 38 of its fallen troops, according to Russian lawmaker Shamsail Saraliev.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced that the country is working with SpaceX to address reports of Russian forces using Starlink satellite internet services to operate attack drones. “We proposed ways to resolve the issue,” Fedorov said on Telegram, thanking SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and company president Gwynne Shotwell for their “swift response.”
SpaceX has attempted to maintain a delicate balance in the conflict, providing connectivity to Ukrainians while trying to prevent its technology from being used for military purposes. The company has previously stated it was happy to help Ukrainians “in their fight for freedom” but has sought to restrict military applications of the service.
As the war approaches its two-year mark, Russia’s daily bombardment of civilian areas behind the roughly 1,000-kilometer front line shows no signs of abating, despite international condemnation and ongoing diplomatic efforts to bring the devastating conflict to an end.
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10 Comments
This move by Putin, if true, could be a sign that he’s feeling pressure to ease up on Kyiv for at least a short time. The severe winter weather has already caused immense hardship, so any relief would be appreciated by the people of Ukraine.
I’m curious to see if Russia actually holds to this reported agreement. They’ve shown little regard for Ukrainian civilians throughout the conflict, so I won’t hold my breath until it’s confirmed.
If Putin has indeed agreed to this one-week pause in attacks on Kyiv, it could be an attempt to improve his public image amid growing global condemnation of Russia’s tactics. However, the people of Ukraine will be the true judges of whether this agreement holds.
That’s a good observation. Any temporary pause in strikes could be more about optics than a genuine humanitarian gesture. The real test will be whether Russia actually refrains from targeting Kyiv’s critical infrastructure during this period.
This reported agreement seems like a curious move by Putin, especially given Russia’s persistent targeting of Ukrainian energy facilities. It will be important to monitor the situation closely and see if Kyiv experiences any meaningful relief from bombardment in the coming days.
I agree, the timing of this reported deal is quite interesting. It’s hard to say whether it’s a genuine attempt to ease the suffering of Ukrainian civilians or simply a public relations ploy. Either way, the people of Kyiv will be the ones to judge if it has any real impact on the ground.
Interesting development, though it remains to be seen if Russia will truly honor this reported agreement. The impact of such attacks on energy infrastructure during harsh winter conditions could be devastating for Ukrainian civilians.
Given Russia’s past actions, I’m a bit skeptical about the reliability of this supposed agreement. But any pause in strikes on Kyiv would certainly be welcome news if it proves true.
While it’s encouraging to hear of a potential pause in strikes on Kyiv, I remain cautious about the reliability of this claim. Russia’s track record on honoring agreements during the war doesn’t inspire much confidence.
You make a fair point. Russia’s past actions suggest they may not uphold this reported deal, even if it was agreed to. We’ll have to wait and see if Kyiv experiences any respite from the bombardment in the coming days.