Putin Agrees to Temporary Halt on Kyiv Strikes Following Trump Appeal, as Deep Freeze Grips Ukraine
MOSCOW/KYIV – In a rare diplomatic intervention, U.S. President Donald Trump has secured a brief reprieve for Ukraine's capital from Russian bombardment. The Kremlin confirmed Friday that President Vladimir Putin agreed to halt strikes on Kyiv for one week, following a direct personal appeal from his American counterpart.
The temporary ceasefire, which is scheduled to end on Sunday, February 1st, was requested by Trump to alleviate humanitarian suffering during a severe cold wave, according to White House statements. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, framed the pause as a gesture to foster negotiations. "President Trump made a personal request to President Putin to refrain from striking Kyiv for a week... in order to create favourable conditions for the talks," Peskov stated.
The move comes as a punishing Arctic front descends on the region, with temperatures in Kyiv forecast to plunge as low as -30°C (-22°F) in the coming days. Russia's sustained attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have crippled heating systems, raising acute fears of a cold-weather catastrophe for millions of civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cautiously acknowledged the lull around the capital. "There were no strikes on energy facilities last night," he noted on social media Friday, while warning that other regions had been hit. He reiterated a conditional offer of restraint: "If Russia does not strike our energy infrastructure... we will not strike theirs."
Despite the localized pause, the wider war grinds on. Ukraine's air force reported dozens of drone and missile attacks overnight, damaging civilian infrastructure in the north and south. Meanwhile, Moscow announced the capture of three more villages in the Zaporizhzhia region, underscoring the continued ground offensive.
Negotiations Amid a Deep Freeze
The brief ceasefire precedes a second round of Russian-Ukrainian talks scheduled in Abu Dhabi, where the intractable issue of territory will be central. Moscow, which occupies large swathes of southern and eastern Ukraine, demands formal Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of the Donetsk region—a condition Kyiv has repeatedly rejected as an affront to its sovereignty.
"So far, we have been unable to find a compromise on the territorial issue," President Zelensky told reporters, emphasizing his government's red line. "We are ready for compromises that lead to a real end to the war, but that are in no way related to changes to Ukraine's territorial integrity."
President Putin has consistently vowed to seize remaining Ukrainian territory by force if diplomacy fails. In a further sign of deteriorating channels, Zelensky accused Moscow of stalling on prisoner exchanges, one of the few functioning forms of wartime cooperation.
Voices from the Ground
Markus Bauer, Security Analyst in Berlin: "This is a tactical humanitarian pause, not a strategic shift. It relieves immediate pressure on Kyiv's infrastructure during a critical weather event but does nothing to alter Russia's broader military objectives. The timing, ahead of the Abu Dhabi talks, is likely calculated to project reasonableness."
Anya Petrova, NGO Coordinator in Lviv: "Every hour without bombs on Kyiv saves lives, especially in this cold. But let's be clear: this is one city, for one week. The attacks continue elsewhere, and the deep freeze is a weapon of war when people have no heat. This gesture feels microscopic against the scale of suffering."
James Kellerman, Former Diplomat in Washington: "Trump's direct engagement is a significant, if unconventional, diplomatic move. It achieves a short-term humanitarian goal and creates a narrow window for dialogue. However, without a parallel commitment to de-escalate the ground war, its long-term impact on the peace process remains highly questionable."
Olga Semyonova, Moscow-based Political Commentator: "This is a farce. Putin halts strikes because Trump asks nicely due to the weather? It exposes the entire Western narrative. If Kyiv truly cared for its people, it would accept Russia's terms and end this war tomorrow. This 'pause' only allows Ukraine to regroup for more NATO-backed aggression."