Russian President Vladimir Putin last week agreed to pause attacking major Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure until Sunday, following a “personal request” from US President Donald Trump, according to the Kremlin. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThe pause also came following trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi, the first such talks since Moscow’s invasion in February 2022. “Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize people is more important to Russia than turning to diplomacy,” Zelensky said Tuesday. - Gleb Garanich/ReutersBefore the Abu Dhabi talks, Russia had stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving swaths of the country facing power shortages and outages in the depths of winter. The Kremlin has confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States aimed at ending the war will take place on Wednesday and Thursday in Abu Dhabi.

Source: CNN February 03, 2026 07:53 UTC