Ahead of Minus 30 Degree Cold Snap, Russia Agrees to Refrain from Attacking Ukraine at U.S. Request

Zelensky Thanks Trump
"De-escalation Will Help End the War"
Trilateral Talks Set for Next Week

On the 28th (local time), Ukrainian citizens are passing by an apartment building reduced to rubble by Russian airstrikes. Photo by AP Yonhap News

With temperatures in Russia expected to drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius next month, Russia has agreed to refrain from attacking Ukraine at the request of the U.S. government.

On the 29th (local time), President Donald Trump stated during a Cabinet meeting at the White House that Ukraine is experiencing extreme cold. He said, "I personally asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to shell Kyiv and several towns for a week, and he agreed."

Ukraine is currently suffering its worst heating and power crisis ever due to Russia's concentrated attacks on energy facilities. With temperatures forecast to plunge to as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius starting February 1, there are growing concerns that citizens will face even greater hardship.

Steve Whitcoff, the U.S. special envoy in charge of Ukraine's peace negotiations, reaffirmed that a trilateral negotiation involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States is scheduled to take place in about a week. He also stated that the parties are discussing territorial agreements, and that agreements on security and reconstruction have been largely completed, raising expectations that a peace deal could be reached soon.

The United States has been mediating an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, but negotiations remain at a stalemate. The U.S.-proposed peace plan has made little progress since President Trump identified President Zelensky as an obstacle to ending the war on the 15th.

In particular, with tensions rising between the United States and Europe following the recent U.S. attempt to forcibly annex Danish Greenland, there are growing observations that it will be difficult to expect full support from European allies for Ukraine.

Following these remarks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude to President Trump. On his social media account, he welcomed Russia's promise to refrain from attacks during the cold spell, saying, "This de-escalation measure will greatly help to end the war." He also reiterated that easing tensions would contribute to ending the conflict.