Trump claims Putin has agreed not to attack Kyiv for a week

BarcelonaUS President Donald Trump has said that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, has agreed to stop attacking Kyiv "and several other cities" for a week, taking into account the "extraordinary cold" with respect to UkraineThe US president said Putin agreed after he asked him to. "I personally asked President Putin not to attack Kyiv and several other cities for a week, and he agreed," he said at a cabinet meeting. He added that "many people" had advised him against calling the Kremlin leader because they considered it "a waste of time," but he was pleased that Putin responded positively. However, he did not give further details about the call, which is part of a new round of negotiations. Last weekend, representatives from both Ukraine and Russia met for the first time in Abu Dhabi, mediated by the United States. A trilateral meeting is expected to be repeated this Sunday. "We are very pleased because the last thing [the Ukrainians] need is to have missiles falling on their towns and cities," Trump added. Volodymyr Zelensky responded that he is confident this short truce will hold. "Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates. We hope the agreements will be implemented," Zelensky wrote on social media. He added: "The de-escalation measures contribute to real progress toward ending the war."

Russian bombing in recent weeks has left millions of Ukrainians without heat or electricity, in one of the harshest winters in recent years in the country, with temperatures plummeting to nearly -20 degrees Celsius. After a slight rise in temperatures this week, freezing levels are expected again on Saturday.

Last Friday, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, He urged residents of the capital to leave the city for the second time this month. If they can,due to the energy crisiscaused by the Russian offensive. "I am speaking to the residents in all sincerity: the situation is extremely difficult and may yet become more complicated. Make sure you have reserves of food, water, and essential medicines. If you have the option of leaving the city for a place with alternative sources of energy and heat, do not rule it out," he said.