Trump claims Putin agreed to week-long pause in Ukraine strikes

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to temporarily suspend missile strikes on Ukraine for one week. Trump cited severe cold weather affecting the region as the primary reason for his direct appeal to the Russian leader.

The Request and Stated Agreement

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump confirmed he contacted Putin personally. "I did call up President Putin," he said, describing a "tremendous cold wave" in Ukraine. The US president stated he asked Putin "if you wouldn't shoot for a period of one week, no missiles going into Kyiv or any other towns, and he's agreed to do so." He characterized the outcome as meaningful, adding, "It's something."

Kremlin's Cautious Response

Following Trump's announcement, the Kremlin provided a more circumspect account. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Trump had requested a halt in strikes until February 1st but declined to state explicitly whether Putin had consented to the proposal. This created a discrepancy between the US declaration of an agreement and the Russian position, which only acknowledged the request.

Context of Extreme Weather

Trump framed the intervention as a humanitarian gesture motivated by extreme winter conditions, noting that Ukraine was experiencing colder temperatures than the United States. The proposed pause, if implemented, would offer a brief respite for Ukrainian cities, though the conflict's broader trajectory remains unchanged.