Trump says Putin agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine for a week due to cold
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, US President Trump said he personally requested his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to refrain from firing on Ukrainian capital Kyiv and its surrounding towns, citing "extraordinary cold" affecting the region.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to halt attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for a week due to severe cold weather conditions, according to news agency Reuters.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Trump said he personally requested Putin to refrain from firing on Kyiv and surrounding towns, citing “extraordinary cold” affecting the region.
“I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that,” Reuters quoted Trump as saying.
Trump described the agreement as unexpected, adding that several people had advised him against making the call. “A lot of people said, ‘Don’t waste the call, you’re not going to get that.’ And he did it,” he said.
"They're (Ukraine) being hit with, proportionately, the kind of cold that we're being hit. It's much colder in Ukraine to start off with, but it's really cold. He agreed to do that. We appreciated that very much," the US President added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Trump for his efforts to "protect lives" in extreme weather in the European nation.
"An important statement by Potus about the possibility of providing security for Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during this extreme winter period. Power supply is a foundation of life. We value the efforts of our partners to help us protect lives. Thank you, President Trump! Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates. We expect the agreements to be implemented. De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war," he tweeted.
The Kremlin on Thursday said Russia has renewed its invitation to Zelenskyy to Moscow for peace talks, as US-led diplomatic efforts to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine gather pace.
The statement came as Russia and Ukraine conducted their latest exchange of war deaths, and hours after the Kremlin refused to comment on reports suggesting the two sides had agreed to halt attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure.
Washington-mediated peace talks held in Abu Dhabi last weekend provided fresh momentum to efforts aimed at securing a peace agreement, but deep divisions remained between the Russian and Ukrainian negotiating positions.
As Kyiv struggles with severe power outages triggered by recent missile attacks, the new development is considered to bring respite
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to halt attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for a week due to severe cold weather conditions, according to news agency Reuters.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Trump said he personally requested Putin to refrain from firing on Kyiv and surrounding towns, citing “extraordinary cold” affecting the region.
“I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that,” Reuters quoted Trump as saying.
Trump described the agreement as unexpected, adding that several people had advised him against making the call. “A lot of people said, ‘Don’t waste the call, you’re not going to get that.’ And he did it,” he said.
"They're (Ukraine) being hit with, proportionately, the kind of cold that we're being hit. It's much colder in Ukraine to start off with, but it's really cold. He agreed to do that. We appreciated that very much," the US President added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Trump for his efforts to "protect lives" in extreme weather in the European nation.
"An important statement by Potus about the possibility of providing security for Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during this extreme winter period. Power supply is a foundation of life. We value the efforts of our partners to help us protect lives. Thank you, President Trump! Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates. We expect the agreements to be implemented. De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war," he tweeted.
The Kremlin on Thursday said Russia has renewed its invitation to Zelenskyy to Moscow for peace talks, as US-led diplomatic efforts to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine gather pace.
The statement came as Russia and Ukraine conducted their latest exchange of war deaths, and hours after the Kremlin refused to comment on reports suggesting the two sides had agreed to halt attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure.
Washington-mediated peace talks held in Abu Dhabi last weekend provided fresh momentum to efforts aimed at securing a peace agreement, but deep divisions remained between the Russian and Ukrainian negotiating positions.
As Kyiv struggles with severe power outages triggered by recent missile attacks, the new development is considered to bring respite