President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin to pause the bombings of Ukrainian cities for a week, though it’s unclear if the brutal leader will follow through with it.
“I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting, noting the “extraordinary cold” in the region. Ukraine has been facing a brutal winter, made worse as Russian strikes have caused continual power outages. Ukrainian residents will see temperatures drop below 22 degrees Fahrenheit into February.
There has been no confirmation from the Kremlin about any such pause in their attacks. Since the war began almost four years ago, Russian forces have often targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure during the winter months, forcing the population to face the winter conditions without consistent electricity, heat, and power.
“They’ve never experienced cold like that,” Trump said. “And I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week. And he agreed to do that, and I have to tell you, it was very nice.”
A Ukrainian advocacy group cautiously praised Trump’s request of Putin but said he must “apply more pressure” to get the Russian leader to agree to a full, lasting ceasefire.
“Donald Trump consistently says that he wants to end the killing and Moscow’s heavy strikes on civilians bother him and the first lady,” Melinda Haring, a senior adviser for the advocacy group Razom for Ukraine, told the Washington Examiner. “He and Melania have been clear that Ukraine’s children should be returned. Ukrainians are freezing to death, and a one-week reprieve is an answer to prayer. At the same time, Ukrainians know not to fall for Putin’s promises so we should see if Russia actually holds to it.”
Less than 24 hours earlier, however, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia is “preparing a new massive strike,” according to their intelligence.
The president’s team continues to try and work through a negotiated settlement to end the war but has yet to achieve a major breakthrough, even as officials say progress is being made.
Steve Witkoff, one of Trump’s primary negotiators, said during the Cabinet meeting, “The talks will continue in about a week, but lots of good things happening between counterparts.”
One of the main remaining sticking points in negotiations is over control of the Donbas, the area of eastern Ukraine that comprises the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. Russian forces currently hold almost the entirety of Luhansk, while the Ukrainian military has managed to retain control over approximately 30% of the territory in Donetsk.
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Russian leaders have demanded Ukraine give up the remaining parts of the Donbas, even though they have been unable to capture it militarily for months.
“I think the one remaining item remains the one you’re all familiar with — that is territorial claim on Donetsk in particular,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday. “I know there is active work going to see if both sides’ views on that can’t be reconciled. It’s still a bridge we haven’t crossed.”