De-escalation and Winter Frost: What Lies Behind Statements on Limiting Strikes on Ukraine
At the end of January, public statements appeared about a possible temporary halt to Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure during a period of severe frost. The initiative was voiced by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Ukrainian side confirmed that the energy issue had been discussed, while stressing that what matters is the implementation of any arrangements, not the statements themselves.
On January 29, Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on remarks by Donald Trump, who said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had allegedly agreed to temporarily refrain from shelling Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during a period of extreme cold.
The President of Ukraine confirmed that the issue of energy security had been discussed during talks in the United Arab Emirates and thanked the American side for its efforts:
“Energy is the foundation of life, and we appreciate the efforts of our partners to help us protect lives. Thank you, President Trump! The teams discussed this in the Emirates. We expect that the agreements will be implemented.”
Zelenskyy separately emphasized the importance of such steps:
“De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war.”
U.S. President Donald Trump, explaining his actions, said that he had personally asked Vladimir Putin to temporarily stop strikes on Ukrainian cities because of the severe cold. The period mentioned was approximately one week.
Speaking during a meeting with members of his administration at the White House, Trump said:
“Because of the cold, extreme cold, they have the same as we do. I personally asked President Putin not to shell Kyiv, cities and towns for a week during these extreme cold conditions… And he agreed. And I must say, that was very good.”
Trump also spoke of “significant progress” in talks on ending the war, without providing details or referring to any signed documents.
At the same time, no official statements have come from Moscow regarding a halt or limitation of strikes. The Kremlin has not publicly confirmed information about an energy ceasefire. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had earlier avoided a direct answer to questions about a possible cessation of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
On the morning of January 29, information began circulating in Ukrainian Telegram channels about an alleged halt to Russian strikes on energy facilities, including in Kyiv and the surrounding region. Reports also appeared about a possible bilateral moratorium that was supposedly to last until February 3 and be linked to another round of talks between Ukraine and Russia scheduled for February 1. There was no official confirmation of these reports.
Financial Times journalist Christopher Miller noted that Ukrainian officials learned about the possible halt to strikes from Donald Trump’s statements and currently have no confirmation that such arrangements have actually taken effect.
The President of Ukraine also confirmed that the issue of an energy ceasefire had been discussed during talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia in Abu Dhabi. Kyiv expects any possible arrangements to be observed, but proposes assessing them based on actual actions.
During his evening address, Zelenskyy separately thanked the American side for support in protecting energy infrastructure:
“I thank the American side for its efforts to stop strikes on energy facilities at this time, and we hope that America will be able to ensure this.”
Ukraine is expecting the return of severe frost in the coming days, with temperatures in some areas dropping to –30 degrees Celsius. Under such conditions, the stability of the energy system directly affects the safety of the civilian population. This is why the Ukrainian side focuses not on the wording of statements, but on whether they translate into real actions.
At this point, only public statements by the United States and a cautious diplomatic response from Kyiv have been recorded. There are no confirmations from Russia. The real state of any arrangements will be determined not by words, but by the behavior of Russian forces in the coming days.
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