US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to refrain from attacking Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for one week due to severe winter conditions.
“We asked President Putin if they could stop the shooting for a week,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “They’re 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.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the initiative, describing it as a temporary halt to Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, which have left hundreds of Kyiv apartments without heat during freezing temperatures. In a message on the social media platform X, Zelenskiy wrote, “De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported that 454 apartment buildings still lacked heating, with overnight temperatures dropping to -10°C (18°F) on Friday and expected to fall further next week. Emergency crews were continuing efforts to restore electricity and heat across the city.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy thanked the United States for its efforts in securing the pause, noting: “We shall see what the real situation is with our energy facilities and cities in the days and nights to come.”
There was no immediate comment from Moscow. Earlier, Russia had renewed its invitation for Zelenskiy to hold talks in Moscow—a proposal the Ukrainian leader has consistently rejected.
The announcement comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts by the United States to broker an end to the nearly four-year conflict, the deadliest in Europe since World War Two. Last weekend, officials from Ukraine, Russia, and the US held unusual three-way discussions in the United Arab Emirates.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff indicated progress in talks over territory, security guarantees, and post-war reconstruction, though Ukraine continues to resist Moscow’s demands to cede the entire Donbas region. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said territorial issues were not the only unresolved matters. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed skepticism about the sustainability of any US-backed security guarantees if they aim merely to preserve Ukraine’s current political leadership.
Negotiators plan to resume discussions within the week, with the next round of talks scheduled for Sunday.
