August M
A renewed wave of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine has drawn an unusual reaction from U.S. President Donald Trump, who framed the assault as the end of a narrowly defined pause rather than a breach of trust.
The comments came as Ukraine faced one of its heaviest bombardments of the winter, hitting energy infrastructure amid freezing temperatures, reports the Kyiv Independent.
Truce ends
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Feb. 3, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had honoured a temporary commitment to halt strikes on Ukraine’s critical energy facilities.
“The pause was for Sunday to Sunday,” Trump said. “It opened up and Putin hit them hard… He kept his word on that. One week is a lot — we will take anything.”
According to The Kyiv Independent, Trump was responding to questions about Russia’s overnight attack on Ukraine, which targeted power plants across the country after the brief ceasefire expired.
Winter barrage
Russian forces launched more than 70 missiles and 450 drones in what Ukrainian officials described as one of the largest attacks of the winter, taking advantage of a severe cold snap that pushed temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius.
The assault marked the end of an informal energy ceasefire, under which Moscow had agreed to temporarily pause attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure. The arrangement followed Trump’s statement on Jan. 29 that he had personally asked Putin to avoid strikes on Kyiv’s energy system.
The Kremlin had previously said the pause would last only until Feb. 1, according to reporting by The Kyiv Independent.
Diplomacy under strain
The renewed strikes come as Ukraine and Russia prepare for another round of peace talks later this week aimed at addressing Moscow’s full-scale invasion, now entering its fourth year.
Delegations from Ukraine, the United States, and Russia are expected to meet in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 4–5, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the scale of the latest attack would force Kyiv’s negotiating team to reassess its approach. He added that Moscow “does not take diplomacy seriously,” underscoring skepticism in Kyiv about Russia’s intentions ahead of the talks.
Despite the renewed violence, Trump suggested that even a short-lived pause in attacks was meaningful, signalling a willingness to frame limited restraint as progress amid ongoing hostilities.
Sources: The Kyiv Independent
