WASHINGTON, January 29. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump stated that he personally asked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the Russian armed forces to cease strikes on Kiev and other cities in Ukraine for one week due to record-breaking cold temperatures.

"And because of the cold, extreme cold, <...> I personally asked [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin not to fire on Kiev and the cities and towns for a week during this. It's extraordinary. <...> Cold, record setting," he said during a meeting of the presidential cabinet at the White House.

According to Trump, the Russian leader "agreed to do that." "And I have to tell you, it was very nice. A lot of people said 'Don't waste the call.' You're not going to get that. And he did it, and we're very happy <...>, because on top of everything else, that's not what they [Ukrainians] need, [that is] missiles coming into their towns and cities. So I just thought, I should say, I thought it was a very, very good thing, and Ukraine almost didn't believe it, but they were very happy about it, because they are struggling badly," Trump added.