Trump Announces Alleged Ceasefire
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, January 29, 2026, that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to a temporary one-week halt in attacks on Ukraine's power grid. The alleged agreement, according to Trump, was a result of his personal plea to Putin, citing the extreme cold weather gripping Ukraine. Trump made the statement during a cabinet meeting at the White House.
'I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this,' Trump stated, emphasizing the 'extraordinary cold, record-setting cold' conditions in Ukraine. He added, 'And he agreed to do that, and I have to tell you, it was very nice.'
Mixed Reactions and Lack of Full Confirmation
The claim of a temporary ceasefire has been met with mixed reactions and a lack of explicit confirmation from all parties. The Kremlin did not immediately confirm a comprehensive truce. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later confirmed on Friday that 'President Trump did indeed make a personal request to President Putin to refrain from striking Kyiv for a week until February 1 in order to create favourable conditions for negotiations.' Peskov's statement indicated the pause was specifically for Kyiv and was set to expire on Sunday, February 1.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Trump for his 'important statement' and welcomed the 'possibility' of a pause in Russian military action. He expressed hope that the United States could help secure the claimed week-long pause in attacks on Ukraine's energy network and that the agreements would be implemented. However, Zelenskyy also voiced skepticism about Putin's readiness for such a step, noting, 'I do not believe that Russia wants to end the war. There is a great deal of evidence to the contrary.'
Humanitarian Crisis Amidst Freezing Temperatures
Trump's announcement comes as Ukraine faces brutally cold winter weather, with temperatures expected to drop as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit) in some areas. Russian strikes on Ukraine's power infrastructure have severely disrupted essential services, leaving millions without heating, light, and water supplies. Recent attacks had left over 1 million people in Kyiv without power and more than 6,000 buildings without heating. Ukrainian officials have described Russia's strategy as 'weaponizing winter,' aiming to wear down public resistance.
Despite Trump's claim, Russian attacks continued in various regions of Ukraine. On Thursday, Russian forces killed six people in central and southern Ukraine, with incidents reported in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Ukraine is now awaiting signs that Russia will adhere to the commitment Trump announced, as the country grapples with both ongoing conflict and severe weather conditions.
5 Comments
Habibi
See? Diplomacy works. Trump knows how to talk to these leaders.
Bermudez
Finally, some leadership! Trump getting Putin to agree to anything is a win.
Africa
Attacks continued elsewhere, so what's the point? This is a total sham.
Mariposa
It's encouraging to see any attempt at a humanitarian pause during such harsh weather, but the conflicting reports and continued attacks outside Kyiv make it clear this is far from a comprehensive solution. A true, verifiable ceasefire across all regions is what's desperately needed.
Bella Ciao
While Trump's initiative to secure a pause is noteworthy for humanitarian reasons, the fact that Russia immediately limited the scope and continued attacks elsewhere undermines the sincerity of the gesture. Ukraine needs reliable security, not just temporary reprieves.