U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he personally appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the shelling of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. According to the American leader, the request covers a one-week pause during the severe cold snap.
The details emerged during a broadcast of a meeting at the White House.
Trump noted that the appeal was motivated by the extremely harsh weather conditions currently facing Ukraine. He emphasized that missile strikes on cities amidst freezing temperatures place an undue burden on the population.
"I personally asked President Putin not to shell Kyiv, the cities and the towns for the week during this massive freeze. He agreed to do it," Trump said.
The U.S. President also shared details regarding the lead-up to the conversation. He noted that his aides were skeptical of the initiative, believing it would be futile.
"And I have to tell you, that was very nice. A lot of people said, 'don't waste the call on it, you’re not going to get it,' but he did do it, and we appreciate very much that they did it," the White House chief added.
Trump also commented on the Ukrainian side's reaction to the arrangement. He noted that Kyiv initially received the news of the Kremlin's agreement with disbelief, but subsequently appreciated the outcome.
"Ukraine almost didn’t believe it, but they were very happy about it. Because on top of everything else, that’s not what they need—missiles flying into their cities and towns," the U.S. President concluded.
This statement comes amidst reports of progress in the peace process. Earlier, Vladimir Zelensky reported on negotiations between Ukrainian, U.S., and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi, while Special Envoy Steven Witkoff announced significant headway in the dialogue and preparations for a new meeting.
