US President Donald Trump (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Credit: Reuters Photos
US President Donald Trump said he had personally asked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to stop firing on Ukraine owing to the extreme cold in the region.
Trump said that Kremlin agreed to refrain from attacking Kyiv and other cities for a week.
"We asked President Putin if they could stop the shooting for a week," Trump told reporters at an event in the Oval office.
"They're being hit with, proportionately, the kind of cold that we're being hit. 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."
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Trump and the US for the temporary peace.
"An important statement by @POTUS about the possibility of providing security for Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during this extreme winter period. Power supply is a foundation of life. We value the efforts of our partners to help us protect lives. Thank you, President Trump! Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates. We expect the agreements to be implemented. De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war," Zelenskyy posted.
In a separate post, the Ukrainian president said he was speaking with the US "about truly effective formats and truly necessary results".
"Ukraine is ready for meetings, Ukraine is ready for decisions, and we expect our partners to be able to act as effectively as possible – in Europe, in the United States, everywhere. Exactly as required for a lasting peace," he added.
Energy restoration underway
Emergency crews have been deployed to restore heating and and electricity in Kyiv after Russian strikes hit facilities on Saturday.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said 454 apartment buildings remained without heat, with overnight temperatures dipping to -10 degrees Celsius.
Peace talks
Ukraine and Russia have engaged in diplomatic talks mediated by the US. The ongoing conflict has been the deadliest in Europe since World War II.
Last week, the two warring nations held a three-way talks involving the US in the United Arab Emirates.
Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday said Russia and Ukraine were discussing the issue of territory and described the talks as having made progress. He said accords on security guarantees and post-war recovery were nearly complete.
Ukraine is resisting Russia's demands to cede all its eastern Donbas region, including areas Moscow's military has failed to capture.