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Kyiv — Ukrainians woke up Friday morning to a familiar wartime ritual: trying to figure out what hope a proclamation from Washington might really bring after nearly four years of Russia’s full-scale invasion and relentless aerial assault.
During a cabinet meeting late Thursday in Washington, President Trump said he had “personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that.”
It appeared that, at least overnight, whatever commitment Russian leader Vladimir Putin did make was having some effect. While Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia had launched over 100 drones at front-line regions on Friday morning, Kyiv was not targeted.
Repeated Russian attacks this month on Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities, often on energy infrastructure, have left 80% of the country grappling with long power cuts, according to Ukraine’s national power grid operator UkrEnergo. It has been a devastating tactic for Ukrainian civilians, as temperatures remain below the freezing mark.
Mr. Trump told reporters Thursday that he had asked Putin to stop attacking Ukraine’s towns and cities specifically “because of the cold, extreme cold.”
“We’re very happy that they did it, because on top of everything else, that’s not what they need, is missiles coming into their towns and cities,” Mr. Trump said, calling it “a very, very good thing,” and adding that Ukrainian officials almost “didn’t believe it, but they were very happy about it, because they are struggling badly.”
Sergei GAPON/AFP/Getty
It is forecast to be a particularly cold week in Ukraine’s capital, with temperatures dipping as low as -9 degrees Fahrenheit.
Earlier this week, 15% of Kyiv’s residential buildings were without heat, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Neither Ukrainian nor Russian officials confirmed any formal agreement between the countries to halt strikes over the next week, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude on Thursday night and told reporters that, “if Russia does not strike us, we will … take corresponding steps.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that President Trump had asked Putin, “to refrain from striking Kyiv” until Feb. 1, suggesting the call between the leaders may have taken place days ago, as Mr. Trump referred on Thursday to a one-week commitment. Mr. Trump did not say on Thursday when he had spoken with Putin, or provide any further detail on the timeframe he had discussed with the Russian leader.
Representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. are expected to meet Sunday in Abu Dhabi for another round of trilateral negotiations, but Zelenskyy said the date or location could change.
He reiterated Ukraine’s support for any initiatives to deescalate the war, and said Kyiv had consistently demonstrated that position since a round of negotiations held in Saudi Arabia early last year.
“If Russia does not strike us, we will not take corresponding steps,” Zelensky said. “That is all — and we have spoken about this principle before as well. At this stage, this is an initiative of the American side and personally of the President of the United States. We can regard it as an opportunity rather than an agreement. Whether it will work or not, and what exactly will work, I cannot say at this point. There is no ceasefire. There is no official agreement on a ceasefire, as is typically reached during negotiations.”
