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The Kremlin has not reacted to Trump’s claim.
This winter, Russian drones and missiles have pounded Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, leaving thousands without electricity or heating for days at a time, with temperatures far below freezing.
On Saturday, January 25, 2026, the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was hit by another Russian barrage, and according to Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, emergency crews were still working to restore heat to at least 454 apartment buildings as of Thursday, Reuters reported.
But now the residents of Kyiv (and other Ukrainian cities) might get a break — at least if recent remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump are to be believed.
One-week break agreed
Trump said on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to halt attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for a week, citing severe winter weather. According to Reuters and DPA, Trump made the comments while speaking to reporters at an Oval Office event.
“We asked President Putin if they could stop the shooting for a week,” Trump said. “They’re being hit with, proportionately, the kind of cold that we’re being hit with. It’s much colder in Ukraine to start off with, but it’s really cold. He agreed to do that. We appreciated that very much.”
There was no immediate response from the Kremlin.
Zelenskiy welcomed the U.S. initiative, saying it focused on stopping Russian strikes on energy facilities that have left large parts of Kyiv without heat. “We expect the agreements to be implemented,” he wrote on X.
Talks and tensions
The United States has spent months pushing for a settlement to the nearly four-year-old war, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States held rare three-way discussions last weekend in the United Arab Emirates.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said progress had been made on territory, security guarantees, and post-war recovery. Ukraine continues to resist Russian demands to cede the entire Donbas region, while Russian officials have played down claims that land is the sole unresolved issue.
Sources: Reuters, AFP, DPA
