Trump urges Putin “to end the war” after Russia resumes Ukraine strikes

• US President Trump urged Vladimir Putin to end the four-year war after Russia launched its most powerful energy facility strike of 2026, leaving hundreds of thousands without heat in -20°C temperatures following a brief, one-week halt in attacks.
• The massive missile and drone assault occurred just one day before scheduled US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi, prompting President Zelensky and NATO chief Mark Rutte to question Russia's commitment to a diplomatic resolution.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the nearly four-year Ukraine war, after Moscow resumed its attacks on Kyiv following a week-long cold-weather halt.

"I want him to end the war," Trump said when asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office about the renewed strikes. Asked if was disappointed Putin had not extended the pause, he replied: "I would like him to."

But Trump said that Putin "kept his word" with what he said was a halt in strikes from Sunday to Sunday, adding: "It's a lot, you know, one week, we'll take anything, because it's really, really cold over there."

Russia launched the "most powerful" attack this year on Ukraine's battered energy facilities overnight, Kyiv said on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of thousands without heating in frigid temperatures ahead of talks to end the four-year war.

Russia's strikes hit as temperatures dropped to their lowest since the start of the war in February 2022, killing two teenagers in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia and damaging a Soviet-era World War II monument.

Russian attacks 

The attack came a day before Ukrainian and Russian negotiators were due to meet for a second round of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi.

"Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorise people is more important to Russia than turning to diplomacy," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, denouncing the attack.

He said Russia had "once again disregarded the efforts of the American side".

NATO chief Mark Rutte, who visited Kyiv on Tuesday, said "Russian attacks like those last night, do not signal seriousness about peace".

An air alert blared out across Kyiv during Rutte's visit.

Explosions were heard across the capital overnight, and residents in hundreds of buildings woke to find their heating cut off as temperatures dipped towards minus 20C.

More than 1,100 residential buildings remained without heat as of late Tuesday, Restoration Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.

Russia's defence ministry confirmed it had launched "a massive strike" against "Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises and energy facilities".

The Kremlin had last week said it agreed to a US request not to strike Kyiv for seven days, ending Sunday.

Ukraine had not reported large-scale Russian attacks on the capital last week, while denouncing continued attacks in other parts of the country.

"Several types of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, were used to strike high-rise buildings and thermal power plants," Energy Minister Denys Shmygal said.

"Hundreds of thousands of families, including children, were deliberately left without heat in the harshest winter frosts," he added.

Tuesday's strike on energy facilities was "the most powerful" since the start of 2026, Ukraine's largest private energy provider confirmed.

Ukraine's air force said Russia had attacked with 71 missiles and 450 attack drones.

Six people were wounded in the capital, officials said.

A drone strike on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia also killed two teenagers and wounded at least 11 people, officials said.