US President Donald Trump has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure for one week amid extreme cold in the country.
According to a phone call between Trump and Putin, which had not been previously reported, the short-term ceasefire was made at Trump's request due to the severe weather conditions. The duration of the ceasefire remains unclear, with neither Russia nor Ukraine confirming it.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did acknowledge that Trump made an "important statement" about providing security for Kyiv and other cities during this winter period. Despite this, the situation remains uncertain, as both sides have expressed surprise at Trump's public announcement of the agreement.
The request was reportedly discussed between the two leaders in a phone call, which took place after weeks of escalating tensions over Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The country is currently facing a brutal winter, with temperatures expected to drop to -20C (-4F) in the coming weeks.
Zelenskyy has also expressed concern that Russia may be using the negotiating process as an excuse to delay new measures aimed at pressuring Moscow into making peace. This comes after a recent drone strike on a Ukrainian passenger train killed five people, with Zelenskyy calling it an act of terrorism.
Ukraine and Russia are set to meet in Abu Dhabi this weekend for talks that will focus specifically on military contacts and monitoring potential ceasefire agreements. The US has also been involved in negotiations, but it appears that no concrete progress has been made so far.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the ceasefire agreement, Trump's assertion that Putin agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure is seen as a positive development by some. However, the situation remains fragile, and both sides need to demonstrate a commitment to reducing tensions in order to achieve any lasting peace.
According to a phone call between Trump and Putin, which had not been previously reported, the short-term ceasefire was made at Trump's request due to the severe weather conditions. The duration of the ceasefire remains unclear, with neither Russia nor Ukraine confirming it.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did acknowledge that Trump made an "important statement" about providing security for Kyiv and other cities during this winter period. Despite this, the situation remains uncertain, as both sides have expressed surprise at Trump's public announcement of the agreement.
The request was reportedly discussed between the two leaders in a phone call, which took place after weeks of escalating tensions over Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The country is currently facing a brutal winter, with temperatures expected to drop to -20C (-4F) in the coming weeks.
Zelenskyy has also expressed concern that Russia may be using the negotiating process as an excuse to delay new measures aimed at pressuring Moscow into making peace. This comes after a recent drone strike on a Ukrainian passenger train killed five people, with Zelenskyy calling it an act of terrorism.
Ukraine and Russia are set to meet in Abu Dhabi this weekend for talks that will focus specifically on military contacts and monitoring potential ceasefire agreements. The US has also been involved in negotiations, but it appears that no concrete progress has been made so far.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the ceasefire agreement, Trump's assertion that Putin agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure is seen as a positive development by some. However, the situation remains fragile, and both sides need to demonstrate a commitment to reducing tensions in order to achieve any lasting peace.
. Can't help but feel like a tiny spark of hope in these uncertain times 
. Still worried about the extreme cold conditions in Ukraine, though -5C is no joke! 
i feel so bad for the ppl stuck in that extreme cold in Ukraine 
we gotta keep our fingers crossed that this truce holds true, especially since trump had to make the call himself 
i'm so tired of all these conflicts & power struggles... can't we just find a way to live in harmony?! 
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. But what if Zelenskyy was just trying to get some traction for his own talks in Abu Dhabi? Maybe this is all part of a bigger game... and we're just being played as pawns on the world stage 
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! Will it be more of the same, or will we finally see some real progress towards peace? Only time (and Trump's tweet account) will tell 
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️ I mean, think about it, one week without strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure? That's gotta be a big deal, right? 
And Trump just stepped in and made it happen? It's not like he's known for being super diplomatic 
. But seriously, this could be the start of something good! Maybe Putin is getting cold feet (literally 
) about this whole Ukraine thing. Or maybe Trump just used his charm to get the deal done 
. Either way, it's a small step in the right direction, and we should keep our fingers crossed that it leads to more positive developments! 
. can't believe trump called Putin out of the blue, makes you wonder what was going through his head lol 
. zelenskyy's been all over the map with these talks, one day says peace is near, next day says we're not making progress 
. need some real commitment from both sides to make this thing stick...and btw, -20c sounds freezing, i'd wanna grab a hot cup of coffee and snuggle up by the fire myself 
. Like, Trump makes a phone call with Putin out of the blue and suddenly everyone's all smiles about a ceasefire? It doesn't really add up to me 
. I mean, we know Ukraine's got its own issues with Russia already, and then you just throw in some extreme cold weather and suddenly everyone's like "oh, okay, let's be friends"? 
. Like, when can we expect any real progress? Will it stick? Won't it get all broken again? I just wish both sides could put aside their differences for a sec and actually work towards something 
.
. Ukraine's been through so much already, the thought of those energy strikes on again would be devastating 
. Still hope there's some positive outcome coming outta these talks in Abu Dhabi 
. If Russia agrees to stop attacks for a week that's definitely a positive step 
Still, it's good that both leaders are talking and trying to find a solution 
. Let's hope they can really make some progress on this one 
I mean, Trump actually talked Putin into calling off their strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure for a week! That's like, a major win for the US and Ukraine 
. I know some folks are skeptical about it, but come on, extreme cold is no joke 
. Zelenskyy's right to be worried that Russia is using the ceasefire talks as an excuse for nothing to change 
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