Trump says Putin agreed to not fire on Ukraine’s freezing capital for a week
Amid record-setting cold, the US president says he personally requested Russia halt energy strikes as peace talks prepare to resume
Ukraine will halt long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities if Russia does the same, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks released on Friday, after Donald Trump raised hopes for a pause in attacks during freezing temperatures.
Trump said on Thursday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to halt attacks on Kyiv and other cities because of a cold snap across Ukraine. The Kremlin said on Friday the US president had asked for a halt until February 1.
Recent Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power infrastructure have disrupted light, heating and water supplies, with temperatures plummeting and leaving the war-battered country facing a fresh humanitarian crisis.
Despite Trump’s claim, Moscow’s forces launched dozens of drones and one missile at Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force.
The attacks damaged a residential building in the central Zaporizhzhia region and civilian infrastructure in the northern Chernihiv region, officials said.
Zelensky, who welcomed Trump’s announcement, told journalists: “If Russia does not strike our energy infrastructure – generation facilities or any other energy assets – we will not strike theirs,” in comments released under embargo until Friday.