Trump Urges Putin to End Ukraine War Amid Renewed Russian Attacks on Kyiv
In an unexpected move, former U.S. President Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the nearly four-year-long conflict in Ukraine. This call comes as Russia has renewed its attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, following a week-long pause due to severe cold weather.
Trump stated from the Oval Office: "I want him to end the war," adding that he would have appreciated it if Putin had extended the ceasefire: "I would have liked that." He noted that Putin "kept his promise" regarding the cessation of strikes from Sunday to Sunday, emphasizing, "It's significant, a whole week, and we will accept anything, as the weather there is very cold."
* Russia's Use of the Ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow on Tuesday of attempting to exploit the ceasefire to stockpile munitions for future attacks, utilizing hundreds of drones and a record number of ballistic missiles.
Zelensky highlighted in a post on platform X that the recent assault on Kyiv and other cities resulted in heating outages amid extremely low temperatures, asserting that Russia did not use the ceasefire to bolster diplomacy but rather to enhance its offensive capabilities.
* Peace Efforts Face Challenges
These developments come ahead of a second round of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, mediated by the United States, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. The first round, held in late January, yielded no progress on crucial territorial issues, with Moscow insisting that Kyiv cede more land in eastern Ukraine, a demand that Ukraine firmly rejects.
Kyiv is under U.S. pressure to agree to a peace deal, while Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure appear to be an attempt to exploit the extreme cold to force the capital into submission during one of the coldest winters in years.
