Trump Brokers Fragile Energy Truce as Record Cold Grips Kyiv

Donald Trump announced that Vladimir Putin agreed to a one-week pause in attacks on energy infrastructure in Kyiv following a request from the incoming USA leadership. This development occurred as a massive technical failure on Saturday left millions without power and water while temperatures dropped toward minus 30 degrees Celsius. Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine halted strikes on Russian oil refineries to maintain the fragile agreement as negotiations continue in the United Arab Emirates.The grid collapse forced the first total shutdown of the Kyiv metro system since the 2022 invasion although Mayor Vitali Klitschko noted that stations remained open for use as bomb shelters. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that energy teams were working to restore services after the failure of high-voltage lines connecting Ukraine with Romania and Moldova.German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius accused the Kremlin of using energy as a weapon against civilians while the International Atomic Energy Agency warned of potential nuclear accidents due to grid instability. Despite the temporary truce in the capital, Russian shelling continued in other regions including a strike on a civilian bus in Kherson that resulted in fatalities.