Washington, DC, January 30 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Thursday said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to temporarily pause strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for one week, citing extreme cold weather conditions across the region.
Addressing a Cabinet meeting, Trump said he personally contacted the Russian leader and urged him to halt attacks on the Ukrainian capital and nearby towns, highlighting the humanitarian impact of the “extraordinary cold.”
“I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that,” Trump said.
Describing the development as unexpected, Trump noted that several advisers had cautioned him against making the call. “A lot of people said, ‘Don’t waste the call, you’re not going to get that.’ And he did it,” he added.
The announcement comes as violence continues on the ground. Ukrainian officials reported that three people were killed in an overnight Russian drone attack in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, even as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia could be preparing for another major assault.
These developments precede planned US-mediated peace talks expected to take place over the weekend.
In a parallel diplomatic move, Russia invited Zelenskyy to Moscow for negotiations aimed at ending the nearly four-year-long conflict, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. The proposal follows last week’s first trilateral meeting involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States in Abu Dhabi.
Speaking to TASS, Peskov said Moscow is being considered as the potential venue for the discussions. This marks the second consecutive day that senior Kremlin officials have signaled readiness to host Zelenskyy for peace talks. On Wednesday, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Ukraine’s leader would be welcome in Moscow if he agrees to meet. Ushakov also said Russia would ensure Zelenskyy’s security and provide all necessary arrangements for the talks should he accept the invitation, according to Russia Today.
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