In a surprising move, former President Donald Trump made a personal request to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a White House Cabinet meeting on January 29. Trump asked Putin to pause missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for one week. He cited the extreme cold in Ukraine, describing the weather as extraordinarily cold and unprecedented in severity. According to Trump, Putin agreed to pause attacks on Kyiv and various towns.
Former President Trump urged Putin to pause missile strikes on Ukraine due to unprecedented cold weather, and Putin reportedly agreed.
The Kremlin confirmed Trump’s request the next day. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the request aimed to create favorable conditions for negotiations, not just due to the cold weather. Peskov affirmed that Putin decided to refrain from striking Kyiv until February 1. However, he noted that this pause only applied to Kyiv, not to surrounding regions or other cities.
Weather forecasts indicated that temperatures in Ukraine were expected to drop to -30 degrees Celsius in the coming days. The State Emergency Service warned of a frigid stretch beginning around February 1. This record-setting cold was expected to worsen, creating serious hardships for civilians. Many homes in Kyiv were without heating, and most lacked electricity even before the pause. Over half of all homes in Kyiv are without heating, illustrating the dire humanitarian situation. Additionally, the deep cold is a significant factor influencing the ceasefire request.
Before this development, Russia had been attacking Ukraine’s energy grid, leaving about 80% of the country without power. The last major strike on Kyiv occurred on January 23-24. Following Trump’s request, Kyiv experienced a quieter night, with no large drone or missile attacks reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Trump for his efforts to protect lives by preserving power supplies. He also warned of a planned large-scale Russian strike, despite the discussions occurring.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials were keen for progress in ongoing trilateral talks held in the United Arab Emirates, focusing on de-escalation and ending the four-year war. The pause in attacks allowed for some hope of negotiation as the situation in Ukraine remained tense.
