UKRAINIANS waited for signs today that Russia was abiding by a commitment to temporarily halt attacks on the country’s power grid, as one of the most bitter winters in years grips Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday night that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to his request not to target the Ukrainian capital and other places for one week, as civilians struggle through freezing temperatures.

“I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kiev and the cities and towns for a week during this… extraordinary cold,” Mr Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, adding that Mr Putin has “agreed to that.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed today that Mr Trump had “made a personal request” to Mr Putin to stop targeting Kiev for a week until February 1 “in order to create favourable conditions for negotiations.”

The mention of February 1 was confusing since that is only two days away — not a week. Also, the cold weather is expected to get worse next week, with temperatures dropping even further.

Asked if Moscow agreed to Mr Trump’s proposal, Mr Peskov said: “Yes, of course.” But he refused to answer further questions about whether the agreement covered only energy infrastructure or all air strikes, and when the halt on strikes on Kiev was supposed to start.

Over the past week Russia has struck Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa and north-eastern Kharkiv. It also hit the Kiev region on January 28, killing two people and injuring four.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was skeptical about Mr Putin’s readiness for such a concession as Russia’s all-out invasion approaches its four-year anniversary next month.

“I do not believe that Russia wants to end the war. There is a great deal of evidence to the contrary,” Mr Zelensky said today.

Ukraine is ready to halt its attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure, including oil refineries, he said, if Moscow also stops its bombardment of the Ukrainian power grid and other energy assets.

While there was no official word on whether those conciliatory steps had been taken, the grinding war of attrition dragged on.

Russia fired 111 drones and one ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight, injuring at least three people, the Ukrainian Air Force said.

The Russian Defence Ministry, meanwhile, said that its air defences overnight shot down 18 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions, as well as the illegally annexed Crimea and the Black Sea.

Mr Zelensky said that he had agreed to adhere to a “reciprocal approach” on energy assaults.

“If Russia does not strike us, we will… take corresponding steps,” he told reporters.