The Kremlin confirmed that US President Donald Trump personally asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to refrain from striking Kyiv until February 1 to create more favorable conditions for negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the request was made but did not specify when it occurred or state explicitly whether Putin accepted it. Trump has publicly said Putin agreed to the pause.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the proposal as “an opportunity rather than an agreement,” saying Ukraine would reciprocate if Russia halted attacks on its energy infrastructure. He stressed there was no formal truce and that negotiating teams had not reached a compromise over control of parts of eastern Donetsk. Trilateral talks brokered by the United States were scheduled to continue in Abu Dhabi, though Zelenskyy warned the date and venue could change amid regional tensions, including developments involving Iran.
Russian authorities said they would briefly pause strikes on Kyiv during a severe cold spell. In recent months, Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power sector have caused widespread outages, leaving thousands in Kyiv and many across the country without heating and electricity during one of the coldest winters in years. Temperatures in parts of Ukraine have fallen well below freezing, with forecasts suggesting even colder conditions ahead.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), joined by a group of 12 countries, warned that repeated strikes on substations and electricity infrastructure are undermining nuclear safety in Ukraine. The IAEA and partners emphasized that reliable external power is essential for the cooling systems of nuclear facilities. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned that damage to substations weakens nuclear safety; Russia’s representative to the IAEA rejected those concerns. An IAEA expert mission to Ukrainian substations and power plants is currently underway.
Security incidents continued across Ukraine. The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile and some 111 strike drones overnight, causing damage to civilian infrastructure in the Zaporizhzhia and Chernihiv regions. Ukraine’s national police said they received more than 2,000 bomb-threat reports nationwide within a three-hour span; roughly a third of those calls were checked and no explosive devices were found.
European political support for Kyiv remained visible. Germany’s Bundesrat passed a resolution pledging continued support for Ukraine, condemning the attacks and calling for Russia to cease hostilities. The incoming Dutch government also pledged full financial and military support and said it would press for use of frozen Russian assets. Meanwhile, humanitarian needs are acute as power outages and freezing temperatures compound civilian hardship.
In short, diplomatic efforts and offers of pauses in strikes are being discussed amid ongoing attacks, energy-sector damage, and escalating humanitarian and nuclear safety concerns, while military and security incidents persist on the ground.