Zelenskyy says Russia violated Trump-backed pause on energy strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has commented on Russia’s latest strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which he said demonstrated Moscow’s disregard for commitments made to the United States and exposed yet another act of deception by the Kremlin.

Addressing the international community via his Telegram channel, he noted that Ukraine expects a response from the United States to the Russian attacks, which came as a reaction to a U.S. proposal to halt strikes on energy facilities during diplomatic negotiations and the cold winter period, per Caliber.Az.

According to Zelenskyy, this initiative—put forward by the United States and U.S. President Donald Trump—has proved futile due to yet another act of deception by Moscow.

“We see that Russia responded to this request with a record number of ballistic missiles – barely four days have passed of the week Russia was asked to hold off. This also speaks volumes about any other promises Russia has made or might still make. If their word doesn't hold even now, what can be expected next?” the Ukrainian leader said.

“They lied before this war as well, and Russia launched the full-scale war, trying to deceive everyone about their intentions and about Ukraine. Even now, in these details, in these agreements with the United States, Russia resorts to deception again. They are incorrigible in Moscow and are trying to take advantage specifically of the cold because they cannot subdue us, Ukraine, through their assaults. Russia’s bet on war must receive a response from the world,” he stressed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a temporary pause in attacks on Ukrainian cities (particularly Kyiv and various towns) and energy infrastructure at the personal request of U.S. President Donald Trump, as announced by Trump on January 29, 2026, during a televised Cabinet meeting at the White House.

Trump stated: "I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that." He framed the request as a humanitarian measure due to "extraordinary cold" weather gripping Ukraine (temperatures dropping to -20°C/-4°F or lower, causing severe hardship amid prior damage to power grids from Russian strikes).

The Kremlin confirmed this the next day (January 30, 2026), with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that Trump had made a "personal request" to Putin to refrain from striking Kyiv "for a week until February 1" to "create favourable conditions for negotiations." Peskov affirmed that Putin had agreed.

By Khagan Isayev