President Donald Trump told his Cabinet on Thursday that he convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold off on attacking Kyiv for seven days. The reason for the pause, according to Trump, is the brutal winter weather currently gripping the region.
Trump explained that he reached out to Putin directly to ask for the favor. “I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that,” Trump said during the meeting. He noted that the “extraordinary cold” was the main driving force behind the request.
The president also mentioned that many people around him didn’t think the phone call would work. He said he was advised not to “waste the call” because he wouldn’t get the result he wanted. However, Trump pushed back on the doubters, telling his Cabinet, “It was very nice… And he did it.”
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This reported pause in fighting comes at a time when the war’s human cost is becoming clearer. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) recently put out new numbers on just how many people have been hurt or killed.
The report estimates that Russia has suffered about 1.2 million casualties. On the Ukrainian side, the numbers are estimated to be between 500,000 and 600,000. These figures include both soldiers who have been killed and those who were wounded in action.
The situation has become difficult enough for Russia that they are reportedly changing how they staff their army. Experts say the country is facing such high losses that they are now pulling personnel from their navy and even nuclear divisions just to fill the gaps on the front lines. Despite the heavy toll on both sides, for now, it appears the freezing temperatures may have bought the capital city a quiet week.
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