Kremlin Says Putin Agreed to Pause Strikes on Kyiv After Trump Request

Overview

• The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin agreed to a U.S. request to halt attacks on Kyiv through Feb. 1 to facilitate talks.
• President Trump said he personally asked Putin to refrain from strikes for a week due to extreme cold in Ukraine.
• Official messaging has been mixed, with Dmitry Peskov offering few details while RIA Novosti reported acceptance of the pause.
• The Ukrainian Air Force reported an Iskander-M missile and 111 attack drones launched overnight, saying 15 areas were targeted and 80 drones were downed.
• President Volodymyr Zelensky said prisoner exchanges have been halted since October as Ukraine continues to receive bodies of fallen soldiers and he signaled Ukraine would stop striking Russian energy sites if Russia ends attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, while noting Abu Dhabi talks could shift in timing or venue.