U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed not to attack Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, as well as other cities and communities, for one week due to unusually severe cold weather, with temperatures in Kyiv possibly dropping as low as minus 24 degrees Celsius. However, Russian authorities have not yet officially confirmed this agreement.
President Donald Trump disclosed during a cabinet meeting that he had directly called President Vladimir Putin to request cooperation in temporarily halting attacks on various Ukrainian cities because Ukraine is facing an intense cold weather wave.
"I personally asked President Putin not to bombard Kyiv and other cities for one week, and he agreed," Trump said, adding that many had doubted the call would achieve anything, but Putin agreed, which brought relief to Ukraine, currently in a very difficult situation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on social media that Trump's statement is an "important matter" in ensuring the safety of citizens during extreme cold. He noted that teams from both sides discussed this in the United Arab Emirates and expressed hope that the agreement will materialize.
Last week, representatives from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States met for talks in the United Arab Emirates, marking the first trilateral negotiation since the war began. All parties described the discussions as constructive, but there has been no official announcement that Russia has agreed to cease attacks throughout the cold weather period.
It is believed that the agreement may be a "tit for tat," with Ukraine agreeing to temporarily suspend drone attacks on Russian oil refineries in exchange for Russia halting bombardments of Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.
This development comes at a critical time, as weather forecasts indicate that temperatures in Kyiv will plunge starting Thursday (29 Jan), potentially reaching as low as minus 24 degrees Celsius.
Nevertheless, Russia continues heavy attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving millions without electricity or heating. Although electrical crews work around the clock to make repairs, ongoing airstrikes frequently destroy restored systems, resulting in residents having electricity for only a few hours daily, insufficient to heat their homes.
So far, Russian authorities have not officially confirmed the ceasefire agreement or specified when this humanitarian ceasefire might officially begin.
. SourceBBC