German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have welcomed reported efforts toward a truce, following a claim by Donald Trump that Vladimir Putin agreed to a week-long halt on attacks targeting Ukraine’s power grid amid extreme cold. Six people were killed in central and southern Ukraine on Thursday due to Russian attacks, regional authorities reported.
Trump Claims Putin Agreed to Halt Ukraine Energy Strikes
Donald Trump claimed Vladimir Putin agreed to pause strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for one week after a personal appeal from the former U.S. president. Zelenskyy said he was counting on the United States to help secure the claimed pause, thanking Trump and expressing hope for implementation. “We hope the United States can make this happen,” Zelenskyy said.
The short-term ceasefire has not been confirmed by Russia. Trump stated at a cabinet meeting, “I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week and he agreed to do that.”
Civilian Casualties and Infrastructure Damage
Russian attacks on Thursday resulted in six deaths in central and southern Ukraine, according to regional authorities and emergency services. In the Zaporizhzhia region, shelling killed three people, and caused a major fire in an apartment building. Two people were injured in the Dnipropetrovsk region, while a Russian bombardment in the Kherson region killed two others.
An elderly woman was killed in a Russian attack on the central city of Kryvyi Rig, according to city officials. German Chancellor Merz stressed that the “systematic and brutal destruction of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure by Russian attacks” was “still ongoing” and condemned it “in the strongest terms.”
Concerns Over Nuclear Safety and Drone Warfare
The UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors is scheduled to meet Friday to discuss nuclear safety in Ukraine, amid “growing concern” over conditions at Ukrainian power plants. Thirteen countries requested the meeting, citing recent attacks causing significant damage to energy infrastructure essential for safe plant operation. Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant temporarily lost all off-site power last week.
Ukraine is collaborating with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to prevent Russia from using Starlink internet systems to guide drones. Kyiv reported finding Starlinks on long-range drones used in Russian attacks. “We are grateful to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and personally to Elon Musk for the quick response and the start of work on resolving the situation,” said Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
EU Blacklists Russia Over Money Laundering Risks
The European Union has blacklisted Russia due to concerns about money laundering, according to the EU foreign policy chief. “This will slow down and increase the costs of transactions with Russian banks,” Kaja Kallas told reporters.
Ukraine’s state weather agency forecasts temperatures as low as minus 30C in the coming days as authorities work to restore power services.
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