VIDEO Zelenski, the first reaction after the American president's unexpected announcement about the energy truce. “we'll see”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday he was counting on the United States to secure a week-long pause in Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid amid a cold snap in the coming days, after US President Donald Trump's announcement.
Zelenski thanked the US president, who earlier said his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had agreed to halt attacks during the freeze period.
“Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates. We expect the agreements to be implemented,” Zelenskiy wrote in a message published in English on the X social media platform.
“De-escalation measures contribute to real progress towards ending the war,” he added in the message.
Zelensky's full message:
“An important statement by the American president regarding the possibility of ensuring security for Kiev and other Ukrainian cities during this extreme winter period. Electricity supply is fundamental to life. We appreciate the efforts of our partners to help us protect lives. Thank you Mr. President Trump! Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates. We expect the agreements to be implemented. De-escalation measures contribute to real progress towards ending the war.“
An important statement by @POTUS about the possibility of providing security for Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during this extreme winter period. Power supply is a foundation of life. We value the efforts of our partners to help us protect lives. Thank you, President Trump! Our…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa) January 29, 2026
Speaking immediately afterward in his evening video address to the nation, Zelenski thanked Washington for the initiative, which he described as a halt to Russian attacks on energy targets in Ukraine.
“We thank the American side for its efforts to ensure the cessation of attacks on energy targets at this time, and let's hope that America will succeed in doing so,” the Ukrainian president said.
“We will see what the real situation is with our energy facilities and our cities in the coming days and nights,” Zelenskiy added.
According to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, during February 1-3 in Ukraine, “very cold weather is expected: night temperatures are expected to drop between minus 20 and minus 27 degrees Celsius and, in some areas, up to minus 30 degrees Celsius.”
Almost half of the capital Kiev is without electricity, heating and water in places, while the major cities of Kharkiv (northeast), Odesa (south) and Dnipro (centre) are also affected.
Zelenskiy had warned in his video speech on Wednesday night of further Russian attacks on energy facilities in Ukraine.
Ukraine's energy grid has been severely affected in recent months by a series of massive Russian attacks that have damaged power plants and transformers, as well as the country's natural gas sector.
Trump's announcement
The US president unexpectedly announced earlier on Thursday that Vladimir Putin had agreed to halt attacks on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities for a week after bombings in Moscow left many buildings in Ukraine without heating amid freezing temperatures.
“They (Ukrainians, no) have never experienced this cold before. I personally asked President Putin to stop launching attacks on Kiev and other cities for a week. He agreed to do this, and I have to tell you, it's very nice,” Trump said.
Trump says Putin agreed not to attack Ukraine for a week. “I asked him personally”
He specified, during a meeting of the Council of Ministers, from the White House, that he made this request because of the “exceptional” cold in Ukraine.
“A lot of people said, 'Don't waste the call, you're not going to get this.' And he (Putin, no) did,” Trump added.
“It's exceptional. It's not just cold, it's exceptionally cold. Record cold and there, and they have the same thing, it's a big accumulation of bad weather,” Trump said, comparing the frost in Ukraine to the current cold wave in Washington.
“And we're very happy that (the Russians, no) did it because, on top of everything else, the Ukrainians don't need missiles hitting their cities and towns,” the White House leader added.
Trump also said Thursday that there had been “a lot of progress” in US-brokered talks between Kiev and Moscow aimed at ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine after four years of heavy fighting.
