A quiet night in Ukraine after Trump says Putin has agreed to halt Russian airstrikes for a week

Kyiv – Ukrainians woke up Friday morning doing a familiar wartime ritual: trying to figure out what hope an announcement from Washington could really bring after nearly four years of Russia’s all-out invasion and relentless airstrikes.

During a cabinet meeting late Thursday in Washington, President Trump said he “personally asked President Putin not to shoot at Kyiv and various cities for a week, and he agreed to do that.”

It appeared that, at least overnight, any commitment Russian leader Vladimir Putin made had some effect. While Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched more than 100 drones at frontline areas on Friday morning, Kyiv was not targeted.

Repeated Russia’s attacks this month on Kyiv and other major Ukrainian citiesmostly in energy infrastructure, has left 80% of the country struggling with prolonged power outages, according to Ukraine’s national electricity grid operator UkrEnergo. It has been a devastating strategy for Ukrainians, as temperatures remain below freezing.

Mr. Trump told reporters on Thursday that he asked Putin to stop attacking Ukrainian cities and towns mainly “because of the cold, very cold.”

“We’re very happy that they did it, because above all else, that’s not what they need, missiles coming to their towns and cities,” said Mr. Trump, calling it “a very good thing,” and added that Ukrainian officials probably “didn’t believe it, but they’re very happy about it, because they’re struggling.”

It is predicted to be a particularly cold week in the Ukrainian capital, with temperatures dropping to -9 degrees Fahrenheit.

Earlier this week, 15% of Kyiv’s residential buildings were without heat, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Neither Ukrainian nor Russian officials have confirmed any formal agreement between the countries to end strikes next week, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude Thursday night and told reporters, “if Russia doesn’t strike, we will … take corresponding measures.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that President Trump had asked Putin, “to stop attacking Kyiv” until February 1, suggesting that the call between the leaders may have taken place days ago, as Mr. Mr. Trump did not say Thursday when he spoke with Putin, or provide any other details about his conversation with the Russian leader.

Representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the US are expected to meet on Sunday in Abu Dhabi for another round of trilateral talks, but Zelenskyy said the date or location could change.

He reiterated Ukraine’s support in any case plans to destroy the warand he said that Kyiv has been showing that position since the round of talks held in Saudi Arabia early last year.

“If Russia does not attack us, we will not take corresponding measures,” Zelensky said. “That’s all – and we have talked about this principle before. At this stage, this is a step by the American side and the President of the United States personally. We can take it as an opportunity instead of an agreement. Whether it will work or not, and what exactly will work, I can’t say yet. There is no agreement to stop. There is no official agreement about the negotiations that are reached during the negotiations.”