JÜRI TOOMEPUU ⟩ A pause in airstrikes is not a step toward peace, but a tool for Putin to continue the war.

2026-02-02 - 09:37

At the end of January this year, the international public was shaken by an announcement that simultaneously sparked both hope and deep scepticism. US President Donald Trump declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to halt air strikes against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure for at least a week, justifying the move with the extreme cold and humanitarian considerations. The statement came in the midst of intensive trilateral peace talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, and followed meetings in the Kremlin by Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, writes former politician and military officer Jüri Toomepuu.