‘Personal request’: Moscow agrees to Trump's call to pause Kyiv strikes until Feb 1

Moscow has agreed to a petition from US President Donald Trump to intermission strikes connected Kyiv for a week, until February 1, the Kremlin said connected Friday.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters connected Friday that Russia had accepted what helium described arsenic a “personal request” from Trump to halt attacks connected the Ukrainian capital."I tin accidental that President Trump did so marque a idiosyncratic petition to President Putin to refrain from striking Kyiv for a week until February 1 successful bid to make favourable conditions for negotiations," Peskov said, arsenic cited by AFP. Trump said helium appealed due to the fact that of the “extreme cold” successful Ukraine, disclosing it during a Cabinet gathering astatine the White House connected Thursday. In contrast, the Kremlin said the determination was intended to facilitate negotiations."I personally asked President Putin not to occurrence into Kyiv and the assorted towns for a week," Trump said, adding that it was "because of the cold, utmost cold."The Kremlin did not notation to freezing temperatures erstwhile describing the appeal, alternatively presenting it arsenic a determination to enactment negotiations, arsenic the United States presses for an extremity to the astir four-year warfare betwixt the 2 neighbours.Russia’s sustained attacks connected Ukraine’s vigor infrastructure person near thousands of residents successful Kyiv without heating during an unusually harsh winter.

Ukraine’s upwind bureau has warned that the coldest conditions are expected aft February 1, with temperatures successful Kyiv forecast to autumn arsenic debased arsenic minus 30 degrees Celsius successful the coming days.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed Trump’s announcement, saying that Ukraine would reciprocate immoderate restraint.“If Russia does not onslaught our vigor infrastructure procreation facilities oregon immoderate different vigor assets, we volition not onslaught theirs,” Zelenskyy said connected Friday, arsenic cited by AFP.Despite Trump’s claim, Ukrainian aerial unit officials said Russian forces launched dozens of drones and 1 rocket astatine Ukraine overnight.The Ukrainian constabulary besides said they received much than 2,000 weaponry threats wrong a fewer hours connected Friday.