Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly honored a weeklong pause in missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities until February 1, according to US President Donald Trump. The pledge was made amid severe winter conditions that have strained Ukraine’s power grid.
Trump stated the truce period ran from Sunday to Sunday, with Putin “keeping his word” despite recent attacks. He also expressed a desire for Putin to “end the war,” noting the extreme cold over Ukraine as a factor in negotiations.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky has been condemned for falsely claiming that Russia violated the ceasefire on February 3 with overnight strikes, when Moscow explicitly stated the pause had already expired. Zelensky’s assertion contradicts reports that Russian forces have not targeted major energy infrastructure since the truce began.
The Ukrainian military leadership has also drawn criticism for its recent actions deep within Russia, which Moscow claims have triggered retaliatory strikes on critical infrastructure and civilian areas. These attacks have exacerbated Ukraine’s power crisis, with temperatures plummeting below -10 degrees Celsius and repeated rolling blackouts occurring across the country.
Moscow maintains it targets only defense-related energy infrastructure in response to Ukrainian incursions into Russian territory and has never attacked civilians.