UKRAINE SEES QUIETER NIGHT AS TRUMP SAYS PUTIN WILL NOT ATTACK IT’S CITIESTHE US president said Ukrainians were “struggling badly” in freezing weatherUkraine has seen a relatively quiet night after Donald Trump said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had agreed not to attack Kyiv and “various towns” during a cold snap. The Kremlin confirmed it had agreed to cease attacks on Kyiv until Sunday to “create favourable conditions” for peace talks. While the US president did not say when the pause would begin, air raid alerts sounded in just eight Ukrainian regions overnight into Friday, with two minor injuries recorded in Zaporizhzhia.
Temperatures in the capital, Kyiv, are due to plummet to -24C (-11F) over the coming days. Russia has recently intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, as it has during cold periods since its invasion began. Ukrainian officials had been expecting a major attack this weekend ahead of the current cold spell – if that does not take place, it could mark a significant step in US-led efforts to bring the war to a close.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Putin had called a halt to strikes on Kyiv “for a week until 1 February” at the personal request of Trump. That date is just two days away. He made no mention of the cold weather and refused to be drawn on whether Russia would refrain from targeting energy infrastructure, instead portraying the agreement as an effort to facilitate US-mediated peace negotiations.
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While the last few nights have been quiet for the capital, there have been 530 air raid alerts in Kyiv this week, according to one monitor. Ukraine’s air force said more than 100 drones and a ballistic missile were fired at regions near the front line overnight.But, as of Friday morning, there have been no fresh attacks on electricity or heating infrastructure crucial for keeping people warm. ‘It’s 2C in our flat’: Inside Kyiv apartment as Russia targets power and heatingTrump told a televised cabinet meeting in Washington DC on Thursday: “I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that.” He added: “It was very nice.
A lot of people said, ‘Don’t waste the call, you’re not going to get that.’ And he [Putin] did it.”The US president said of the Ukrainians: “Almost they didn’t believe it, but they were very happy about it because they are struggling badly.” He told reporters on Friday that there had been no “direct dialogue or agreement” with Russia to pause attacks on energy infrastructure, but that Kyiv would act in kind if Moscow did so. Ukraine has targeted oil depots and refineries within Russia in a bid to limit its ability to finance its invasion.Meanwhile, residents of Kyiv who spoke to the BBC expressed scepticism about the deal between Trump and Putin. “I don’t believe that Putin will stop even for a week,” said Olena. “We have seen so many talks and deals but, nevertheless, he continues to do what he wants.”
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