Russian strikes on Kyiv paused temporarily during winter freeze: Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has cautiously welcomed remarks by United States President Donald Trump suggesting that Russia has agreed not to strike Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for seven days, as extreme winter conditions worsen an already dire humanitarian situation.

In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, Zelenskyy described Trump’s comments as an important signal that could help improve security for civilians during what he called an “extreme winter period”. He said the temporary halt in attacks had been discussed during recent ceasefire negotiations held in the United Arab Emirates and expressed hope that the understanding would be honoured.

“Steps towards de-escalation contribute to real progress in bringing the war to an end,” Zelenskyy said.

Trump earlier told a cabinet meeting that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to his personal request to refrain from attacking Kyiv and “various towns” for a week, citing the unusually severe cold gripping the region.

“I asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and other cities for a week, because of the extraordinary cold, and he agreed,” Trump said

The comments came as Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, reported that hundreds of residential buildings in the capital remain without heating following sustained Russian strikes on energy and heating infrastructure. Writing on Telegram, Klitschko said 454 apartment blocks were still affected as crews worked to restore power and heat.

Temperatures in Kyiv are expected to fall as low as minus 23 degrees Celsius overnight in the coming days, raising fears for vulnerable residents amid ongoing infrastructure damage.

Severe winter weather has also hit Russia, with Moscow experiencing its heaviest snowfall in two centuries in January, according to the meteorological observatory at Lomonosov Moscow State University, cited by state news agency TASS.

Despite the reported pause in attacks, broader progress towards ending the war remains uncertain. Russia and Ukraine confirmed on Thursday that they had exchanged the bodies of soldiers killed in the conflict, a measure that has featured in previous rounds of talks.

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov downplayed prospects for a wider ceasefire, saying Moscow had yet to receive a revised 20-point proposal that he claimed had been reworked by Ukraine and its allies. He also alleged, without providing evidence, that Kyiv had previously used short pauses in fighting to mobilise more troops to the front lines.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now approaching its fourth year, with repeated diplomatic efforts yet to deliver a lasting settlement.