The Kremlin said on Friday (30 January) that Russian President had received a personal request from his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump. The request was to halt strikes on Kyiv until 1 February to create a favourable environment for peace negotiations.
Asked about the request, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would not provide additional details.
Ukraine said it would reciprocate if Russia refrained from striking the country’s energy infrastructure during a period of bitterly cold weather.
The next round of trilateral peace talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States had been scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that the date or location of the talks could still change.
Speaking earlier during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said he personally raised the issue with Putin during a phone call on Thursday.
“Because of the cold, extreme cold, I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week, and he agreed to do that,” Trump said.
Trump described the weather as “record-setting” and said Ukraine was experiencing conditions similar to a severe cold snap in Washington. He added that some advisers had questioned whether making the request would be effective, but said Putin ultimately agreed to the pause.
“A lot of people said, ‘Don’t waste the call. You’re not going to get that.’ And he did it,” Trump said.
There was no immediate confirmation from the Kremlin regarding the reported agreement, and Moscow did not immediately comment.
In his daily remarks on Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv remained in constant contact with its partners and was ready to take decisions aimed at achieving a lasting peace.
“Almost every hour, our negotiating team is in contact. We are communicating with our partners, with the American side, about truly effective formats and truly necessary results,” Zelenskyy said.
“Ukraine is ready for meetings, Ukraine is ready for decisions, and we expect our partners to be able to act as effectively as possible in Europe, in America, everywhere, exactly as needed for a lasting peace.”
Zelenskyy welcomed U.S. efforts to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, saying Washington’s role would be judged by developments on the ground.
“I thank the American side for its efforts to stop strikes on energy infrastructure at this time,” he said, adding that the situation in the coming days would show whether those efforts had succeeded.
Emergency crews were still restoring heating and electricity in Kyiv following Russian air strikes last Saturday.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said 454 apartment buildings remained without heat, with overnight temperatures dipping to minus 10 degrees Celsius and expected to fall further next week.
Despite Trump’s comments, Russian attacks killed at least six people in central and southern Ukraine on Thursday, according to regional authorities and emergency services.
The United States has been engaged in months of diplomatic activity to secure an accord to end the nearly four-year-old war, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States held unusual three-way contacts last weekend in the United Arab Emirates.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, speaking at the Cabinet meeting, said discussions between Russia and Ukraine were continuing. He said the sides were discussing territorial issues, while talks on security guarantees and post-war economic recovery were nearly complete.
Witkoff noted that negotiations were expected to resume in about a week, with the next meeting scheduled for Sunday.
Ukraine continues to resist Russia’s demand to cede its entire eastern Donbas region, including areas Moscow’s forces have failed to capture. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the land issue was not the only key matter still under discussion.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cast doubt on the viability of any U.S.-backed security guarantees for Ukraine, questioning whether they could deliver a lasting peace if they were designed to keep Ukraine’s current leadership in power.
Rudolf Myhovych, CEO of the Christian Medical Association, joining from Lviv, said the situation remains unclear because Kyiv has not been involved in any ceasefire discussions.
"All Ukrainian officials, including Zelenskyy, informed that they did not communicate with Russians and there's no understanding," he said.
Myhovych pointed to a Russian strike on an energy facility in Zaporizhzhia region just a day earlier, adding: "Let's be honest, just for two days' stop, pause, actually it's not a big help."
He described the halt as a routine operational break rather than a real concession.
"They cannot do a lot every day," he said, noting drone and missile production remains high but not limitless. "Putin is just making a small pause, as usually they do after big attacks."
Myhovych suggested the Kremlin is also considering its relationship with Washington.
"I think it's more about building a relationship with Trump and showing him, yeah, we can listen to you because you're asking," he said.
Yet he stressed that Russian messaging at home shows no sign of preparing for de-escalation. "Propaganda is not preparing for slowing down."
Kyiv, he noted, is approaching the announcement cautiously.
"It's just two or three days. It's not changing the dramatic situation," Myhovych said, recalling that similar arrangements last year failed to prevent strikes on energy facilities in eastern and central regions.
The impact on Ukraine’s armed forces will be limited, he added.
"For the army, it's not a big difference because the army is supported," he said. Civilian areas, however, continue to face severe strain due to energy shortages, as households, small businesses and hospitals rely heavily on generators.
Myhovych said the main issue is not the number of Patriot systems but the availability of interceptor missiles.
"Many times when I'm talking to air defence, they tell me that we just basically don't have rockets to launch," he said.
Myhovych expects hostilities to resume quickly.
"I think they will continue to attack," he said, noting that regional authorities have advised residents to prepare for renewed large-scale strikes as temperatures drop to minus 20 to minus 30 degrees at night.
"We think that the winter is still not finished and the difficult time still goes on."
Four people have sustained varying degrees of injuries after two drones fell near Dubai's International Airport on Wednesday, as Iran and Israe...
Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women footballers who sought asylum, fearing persecution after refusing to sing their nati...
A towering lava fountain from Kilauea shot about 400 metres into the air late on Tuesday (11 March) on Hawaii Island, prompting temporary closures ...
Centuries-old palaces and mosques in Isfahan, Iran’s celebrated cultural capital, lie in ruins after a series of air raids struck the city&rs...
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including thr...
Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women footballers who sought asylum, fearing persecution after refusing to sing their national anthem at an Asia Cup match.
A towering lava fountain from Kilauea shot about 400 metres into the air late on Tuesday (11 March) on Hawaii Island, prompting temporary closures at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and part of a key highway as volcanic ash and debris fell over nearby areas.
Centuries-old palaces and mosques in Isfahan, Iran’s celebrated cultural capital, lie in ruins after a series of air raids struck the city’s historic centre, leaving officials to warn of a devastating loss to both national and global heritage. AnewZ’s Touraj Shiralilou visited the city.
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Kazakhstan has evacuated more than 7,300 citizens from the Middle East since regional tensions escalated, using both air and land routes to bring nationals home while closely monitoring political developments and potential economic effects linked to rising oil prices.
Almost 2,000 people have been evacuated from Iran via Azerbaijan since conflict erupted in the Middle East.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
The first batch of Peter Mandelson’s papers on his 2024 ambassadorial appointment is set to be published on Wednesday, following a parliamentary order. The release comes amid police investigations over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
At least six people have died after a bus caught fire in Kerzers, Switzerland, in what police say may have been a deliberate act. Witnesses reported a man inside the vehicle set himself alight. Three others were injured and taken to hospital, while authorities continue their investigation.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 11th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Four people have sustained varying degrees of injuries after two drones fell near Dubai's International Airport on Wednesday, as Iran and Israel continue to exchange missile and drone strikes across the Middle East - all the latest updates throughout the day on AnewZ.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, has addressed the U.N. Security Council, saying the world must consider how effective its engagement with the Taliban-run country is as millions face hunger.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment