US President Donald Trump has said Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed not to carry out attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for about a week due to exceptionally cold weather gripping the region.
Speaking at a televised cabinet meeting in Washington on Thursday, Trump said he personally asked Putin to halt strikes on Ukraine’s capital and other urban areas during the extreme cold, and that the Russian leader agreed. Trump did not specify when the pause would begin.
Russia has not confirmed any such agreement. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Trump’s remarks, calling them an important signal about the possibility of protecting Kyiv and other cities during the harsh winter period.
Air raid sirens sounded overnight into Friday in only four Ukrainian regions close to the frontline, according to Ukrainian officials. Kyiv and other major cities were not included. Ukraine’s air force later said those areas were targeted by around 80 Russian drones and a ballistic missile.
Temperatures in Kyiv were forecast to drop sharply from Thursday, falling to as low as minus 24 degrees Celsius in the coming days. Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during cold spells since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022, worsening power and heating shortages.
In a social media post, Zelensky said Ukrainian and US teams had discussed the issue during talks in the United Arab Emirates and expressed hope that the understandings would be implemented. Ukrainian media reported that Kyiv had agreed to mirror Moscow’s actions by pausing its own attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators held their first trilateral talks since the war began during meetings in the UAE last week. While all sides described the discussions as constructive, there has been no formal announcement from Moscow of a pause in attacks.
Despite the reported understanding, Russian strikes have continued to damage Ukraine’s power grid, leaving millions without reliable heating or electricity as repair crews struggle to restore supplies amid ongoing attacks.
With inputs from BBC