Kyiv, Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to avoid striking Kyiv for one week due to extreme cold conditions, describing it as a rare humanitarian pause during the war in Ukraine.
Trump cites call with Putin
Trump said he personally requested the temporary halt during a telephone call with Putin, citing “extraordinary cold” in the region. He made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
“I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that,” Trump said. He added: “It was very nice. A lot of people said, ‘Don’t waste the call, you’re not going to get that.’ And he did it.”
Scope of the pause remains unclear
Trump said the temporary ceasefire applies to Kyiv and several other Ukrainian towns, but he did not specify which locations would be covered or whether fighting would continue in other parts of Ukraine.
New casualty estimates cited
The announcement came as the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said the war has resulted in about 1.2 million Russian casualties and between 500,000 and 600,000 Ukrainian casualties, including both wounded and killed troops.
Russia filling gaps in forces, experts say
Experts said Russia is being forced to fill gaps in its army with navy and nuclear personnel due to unprecedented numbers of casualties.
What impact could a one-week pause on strikes have on civilians in Kyiv and other towns?