Trump Says Putin Agreed To Pause Strikes On Kyiv For One Week
On Jan. 29, 2026, Trump said Putin agreed to refrain from striking Kyiv for one week; the Kremlin did not confirm.
Overview
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 29, 2026, during a televised Cabinet meeting in Washington that he personally asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to fire into Kyiv and "various towns" for a week and that Putin "agreed to do that," though the Kremlin declined to confirm and spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he could not comment.
The announcement matters because Kyiv will enter a brutally cold stretch starting Jan. 30, 2026, with the State Emergency Service warning temperatures could fall to minus 22°F and Ukrainian officials saying more than 1,000,000 people in Kyiv were left without power and more than 6,000 buildings without heating.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late on Jan. 28, 2026, that Ukrainian intelligence indicated Moscow was assembling forces for a major aerial attack and that "every single Russian strike" discredits the peace talks, his office said.
Ukraine's Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Jan. 29, 2026, that Russia launched more than 6,000 drones in the past month, and Ukrainian officials said earlier large-scale attacks involved more than 800 drones along with cruise and ballistic missiles.
Trilateral talks among the United States, Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to resume on Feb. 1, 2026, officials said, while the alleged one-week halt remains unconfirmed and Kyiv has warned of a potential new strike.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present the exchange neutrally: they attribute Trump's claim with direct quotes, report Zelensky's response, note the absence of Russian confirmation, and include context (imminent extreme cold). The piece avoids loaded language, uses cautious qualifiers, and leaves disputed claims as sourced statements rather than editorial assertions.
Sources (18)
FAQ
No, the Kremlin has not confirmed the agreement, and spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment.
More than 1,000,000 people in Kyiv are without power and over 6,000 buildings without heating, amid warnings of temperatures dropping to minus 22°F starting January 30, 2026.
Zelenskyy thanked Trump for efforts to provide security for Kyiv and other cities during the extreme winter, stating it contributes to progress toward ending the war.
Trilateral talks are scheduled to resume on February 1, 2026.
History
4 sources