Trump emphasized that the reason for this request was the abnormally low temperatures being experienced in Ukraine. “It’s not just cold there; it’s record cold. This is a serious problem as the weather is terrible. According to them, they have never experienced such cold,” he noted during a meeting with members of his administration on January 29.
According to Trump, Putin agreed to a temporary halt to attacks on Kyiv and other cities. “It was very kind of him,” the U.S. president added, but did not specify when this conversation with Putin took place.
During the meeting, Trump also noted that Russia and Ukraine have made significant steps towards resolving the conflict, and issues concerning territories are currently being discussed.
Financial Times journalist Christopher Miller reported that Ukrainian authorities learned of Russia's agreement to cease attacks from Trump's statement and did not receive confirmations from Moscow, so they are “not yet sure that the ceasefire has actually come into effect.”
According to the Financial Times, during negotiations in Abu Dhabi over the past weekend, the U.S. and Ukraine discussed for the first time the possibility of halting attacks on energy facilities. The idea was for both sides to agree to a temporary cessation of such attacks “as a good-faith step towards de-escalation amid tense peace negotiations,” FT sources reported.
“If they are willing to talk about any ceasefire, even a temporary one, it is worth discussing. We want this,” a senior Ukrainian official told the publication.
At the time of Trump's statement, there were no official comments from the Kremlin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to Trump via social media platform X.
“President Trump's statement about the possibility of ensuring the safety of Kyiv and other cities from Russian attacks during this cold time is an important step. Energy is the foundation of life, and we appreciate the efforts of our partners in protecting lives. Thank you, President Trump! Our teams discussed this in the Emirates. We hope that the agreements reached will be honored. De-escalation is the real path to ending the war,” Zelensky wrote.
Later, Trump added that Russia had already ceased shelling Ukraine after his appeal to Putin. He announced this during an event in the Oval Office.
“Russia has not been conducting shelling on Ukraine for some time due to this terribly cold weather,” he emphasized.
In January, Russian forces attacked Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leading to power and heating outages in several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv.
