Zelenskyy cautious about pause in Russian strikes on energy infrastructure

President Zelenskyy said he is waiting to see whether Russia will observe a proposed pause in strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure after Donald Trump said he asked Vladimir Putin to halt attacks; Ukrainian and Russian officials are due to meet in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is waiting to see whether Russia will observe a proposed pause in strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure during a spell of severe winter cold. Donald Trump said he had asked Vladimir Putin to halt such strikes and claimed Putin agreed for a week, while the Kremlin said Putin received the request but did not confirm any order. Zelenskyy said there is no formal ceasefire agreement on energy targets and that Kyiv would halt strikes if Moscow did the same. Senior Ukrainian and Russian officials are due to meet in Abu Dhabi this weekend for further talks, though Zelenskyy said the date or location could change because of developments between the United States and Iran. What is known: - Zelenskyy said there is no formal agreement and that Kyiv is waiting to see if Russia pauses strikes. - Donald Trump said he requested a halt and claimed Putin agreed; the Kremlin said Putin received the request but gave no confirmation of an order. - Observers reported a noticeable reduction in attacks overnight after the announcement, according to published accounts. - Ukrainian and Russian officials are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi this weekend, though timing or location may change. Summary: Officials have reported a proposed pause but no formal agreement has been confirmed, leaving the immediate situation undetermined at this time. The next scheduled diplomatic step is talks in Abu Dhabi this weekend, which may be affected by wider international developments.