An unusually cold winter storm sweeping across Eastern Europe set the stage for a rare diplomatic moment, according to President Donald Trump, who said he secured a brief pause in Russian attacks on Ukraine after a direct appeal to Vladimir Putin.
According to the New York Post, while speaking about a recent phone call with the Russian leader, Trump said he urged Putin to hold off on strikes against Ukraine’s capital and other population centers for a week because of the extreme weather conditions battering the region.
The president described the cold as historic and dangerous, particularly for civilians already struggling through the ongoing conflict.
“I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns … for a week,” Trump said.
Trump said his request was based on humanitarian concerns tied to the severity of the weather, which he characterized as highly unusual.
“It’s extraordinary. It’s … record-setting over there,” he said.
According to Trump, Putin agreed to the temporary restraint, a decision the president suggested surprised even some of his advisers.
“He agreed to do that, and I have to tell you, people said, ‘Don’t waste the call, you’re not going to get that and he did it, and we’re very happy that he did,” Trump said.
The president framed the exchange as evidence that direct engagement can still yield results, even amid a grinding war that has shown little sign of resolution.
The comments come as winter conditions have intensified hardships across the region, with freezing temperatures compounding damage to infrastructure and basic services in cities and towns already strained by years of fighting.
The president did not elaborate on whether the pause applied nationwide or how compliance would be monitored, nor did he indicate whether similar requests might be made in the future.
Instead, Trump highlighted the outcome itself, portraying it as a small but meaningful step that spared civilians during a particularly dangerous stretch of weather.
Whether the pause leads to further dialogue or remains a one-off gesture tied to the cold snap remains to be seen.
