Trump Says Putin Agreed to Weeklong Pause in Attacks on Kyiv

President Trump said on Jan. 29, 2026, that the Kremlin had agreed to a temporary, weeklong pause in missile attacks on Kyiv amid extreme cold, a development he described at a televised White House cabinet meeting. There was no official confirmation from Russia or Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the United States for its efforts to halt strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure but stopped short of declaring a reprieve, saying, “We hope the United States can make this happen,” and that the situation at energy facilities and in cities would show how things stand.

An adviser to the Ukrainian president’s office said Ukraine had asked for a pause during last weekend’s meeting with Russian negotiators and that the Russian side had agreed, but not in writing. Early Thursday, pro-war bloggers close to the Russian military posted reports on Telegram of an order to hold fire temporarily on Kyiv and energy targets.

Russia had pounded cities across Ukraine with drone and missile strikes earlier in the week, though there were no major airstrikes on Thursday. The report notes Russia has left thousands of apartment buildings in Kyiv without heat during the extreme cold in recent weeks, a campaign that has appeared aimed at breaking Ukraine’s morale.

Mr. Trump said, “I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week,” and that Mr. Putin had agreed.

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