US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russia’s Vladimir Putin agreed to a personal request to halt attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, after Moscow’s strikes left millions without heating during an “extreme” cold snap.
Trump’s claim comes as 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.
The Kremlin did not immediately confirm any truce, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Trump and said he was counting on Washington to secure the pause in attacks.
“Because of the cold, extreme cold… I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this,” Trump told a cabinet meeting at the White House.
“They’ve never experienced cold like that. And I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week. And he agreed to do that, and I have to tell you, it was very nice,” he added.
Ukraine’s state weather agency on Thursday forecast a drastic dip in temperatures to as low as minus 30C in coming days as authorities race to restore services.
Trump, who met Putin in Alaska last year amid great fanfare but without achieving any breakthrough, said he trusted the Russian leader to honor the agreement.
“People said, ‘don’t waste the call. You’re not going to get that.’ And he did it,” said Trump, without specifying when the conversation took place, or when the purported truce would start.
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