Ukraine and Russia have agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. President Donald Trump confirmed Moscow had agreed to stop strikes on Ukraine’s energy targets.
On Thursday, unconfirmed reports claimed that Russia and Ukraine agreed to a short-term energy truce. The deal was brokered during negotiations in the UAE. The pause will continue for the duration of the ongoing negotiations. The talks are scheduled to end early next month.
Donald Trump later explained that Russia signed on to the truce. “I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this … extraordinary cold,” the President said, adding, “and he agreed to it.”
The Kremlin has not commented on the proposal, and a Ukrainian official expressed skepticism about the truce. “Only the reality itself can prove it. We will see how tonight goes,” they told Axios.
Russia and Ukraine have traded attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukrainian drones have targeted Russian refineries and one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences. Russian missile strikes on Ukraine have left thousands without power and heat.
Trump has attempted to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, but Kiev and Moscow remain far apart on several key issues. The Kremlin said that they believe Trump is now rushing to complete a deal to end the war.
The ongoing talks in the UAE are the first positive engagement between the Russians and Ukraine in some time. The talks began last week, and a second meeting was held on Saturday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the next round of talks will begin on February 1.
