US President Donald Trump said Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to halt attacks on Kyiv and other cities for a week, as Moscow’s strikes leave Ukraine facing its toughest winter since the start of the war.

Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power infrastructure have left millions with disrupted light, heating and water supplies in freezing temperatures, pushing the war-battered country towards a humanitarian crisis.

“Because of the cold, extreme cold … I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this,” Trump told a cabinet meeting at the White House.

“It’s extraordinary. It’s not just like cold, it’s extraordinary cold. Record-setting cold, over there too, they are having the same, it’s a big pile of bad weather,” Trump added, comparing it to a current cold snap in Washington.

“They’ve never experienced cold like that. And I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week. And he agreed to do that, and I have to tell you, it was very nice.”

There was no immediate reaction from the Kremlin but Trump – whose summit in Alaska with the Russian leader last August ended without a breakthrough – said he trusted Putin to honour the agreement.