US President Donald Trump has announced that Vladimir Putin has agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure for one week, citing his personal appeal due to the extreme cold in Ukraine. The claim comes after a phone call between the two leaders, which was not previously reported.
According to Trump, he personally asked Putin not to fire into Kyiv and other Ukrainian towns for a week, and Putin agreed to do so. However, neither Russia nor Ukraine has confirmed the ceasefire, with both sides expressing surprise at Trump's public announcement.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that a discussion had taken place about halting strikes on energy facilities, but said he expects the agreements to be implemented. He also expressed skepticism about the US claims, stating that Ukraine "almost didn't believe" it when told of the potential ceasefire.
The announcement comes as Ukraine is struggling with extreme cold temperatures and power outages, with over 1 million people left without electricity in Kyiv alone. Trump claimed he had informed Ukrainian officials about the proposed ceasefire, but details remain unclear.
Russian officials have denied any agreement on a ceasefire, with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stating that many issues still need to be resolved between Ukraine and Russia. The two countries are set to resume talks in Abu Dhabi this weekend, focusing on military contacts and monitoring potential ceasefires.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian intelligence has warned of Russia preparing for new strikes against Ukraine, with President Zelenskyy calling on the international community to take notice of Russia's intentions.
According to Trump, he personally asked Putin not to fire into Kyiv and other Ukrainian towns for a week, and Putin agreed to do so. However, neither Russia nor Ukraine has confirmed the ceasefire, with both sides expressing surprise at Trump's public announcement.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that a discussion had taken place about halting strikes on energy facilities, but said he expects the agreements to be implemented. He also expressed skepticism about the US claims, stating that Ukraine "almost didn't believe" it when told of the potential ceasefire.
The announcement comes as Ukraine is struggling with extreme cold temperatures and power outages, with over 1 million people left without electricity in Kyiv alone. Trump claimed he had informed Ukrainian officials about the proposed ceasefire, but details remain unclear.
Russian officials have denied any agreement on a ceasefire, with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stating that many issues still need to be resolved between Ukraine and Russia. The two countries are set to resume talks in Abu Dhabi this weekend, focusing on military contacts and monitoring potential ceasefires.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian intelligence has warned of Russia preparing for new strikes against Ukraine, with President Zelenskyy calling on the international community to take notice of Russia's intentions.
i'm not sure if i trust either side yet. both zelenskyy and putin are being super cautious with their words. like, zelenskyy said he "almost didn't believe" it when he heard about the potential ceasefire... that's some skepticism right there 
is it even possible that Putin would agree to a ceasefire without anyone else knowing about it?! I mean I'm glad that Ukraine is getting some temporary reprieve from all this fighting, especially with the extreme cold they're dealing with now 
it's heartbreaking to think of all those people living without electricity for so long.
. And what about Ukraine's skepticism? Like, for real, who wouldn't be surprised if a public announcement like this happened? 
. hope zelenskyy can trust that this actually sticks and doesn't just leave him with a temporary reprieve 
just heard about trump saying putin agreed to stop hitting ukraine's energy stuff... not clear if true tho 
hope it holds water but gotta see what both sides say in the coming days 
fingers crossed for peace 
It'd be a miracle if Putin actually kept his word. And what about the details? Who informed Ukrainian officials? How did this even happen? 
. We'll have to wait and see if anything actually happens in Abu Dhabi this weekend 
. One thing's for sure - I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for the people of Ukraine who are struggling with the cold 
.
anyway, looks like we'll just have to wait & see what happens in abu dhabi this weekend...
. BUT, I'm also kinda worried about what this means for the long game. Are they just stalling until something else happens? It's hard to say, but I guess we'll have to wait and see how things unfold... hopefully for the better 
.
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. And President Zelenskyy's skepticism about Trump's claims is totally understandable 
.
, i'm so relieved 2 hear that the energy strikes r gonna be put on hold 4 a wk! 
. anyways, fingers crossed 4 a peaceful wk ahead 
. Ukraine needs that energy infrastructure to stay lit, you feel? And now they're telling us the temp is extreme 
Ukraine's got enough on their plate with the cold and no electricity 
Like, who comes up with these power plays? 
. Anyway, my money's on Ukraine... they won't take this lying down 
.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK ABOUT THIS NEWS YET, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE A BIG DEAL!!! TRUMP JUST CALLED PUTIN AND NOW PUTIN'S SUPPOSEDLY AGREEING TO STOP ATTACKING UKRAINE FOR A WEEK?!?! 
BUT SERIOUSLY, I DON'T KNOW IF I BELIEVE IT YET. ZELENSKY SAYS HE DIDN'T TRUST IT AT FIRST AND RUSSIAN OFFICIALS ARE DENYING ANY AGREEMENT, SO I GUESS WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN ABU DHABI THIS WEEKEND. 
, on the other hand, ukraine needs power ASAP 
️ especially with all those ppl stuck in the dark 
hope they can get some concrete agreements done 
. And what about the lack of confirmation from Russia and Ukraine themselves? It's all just Trump's word for it? 
. I mean, Donald Trump just stepped in and talked some sense into Putin, who else can say that? It's not like this was a grand plan or anything, just a personal appeal from the Prez to his Russian counterpart. And what happened next? Putin agreed to hold off on the strikes! Now, of course, everyone's skeptical about it being real... but that's where the beauty of diplomacy lies - in the grey areas and the give-and-takes. It's a reminder that even in the most tense situations, there's always room for negotiation and compromise. So let's all take a deep breath and hope this ceasefire holds, shall we?