Putin consents for the first time to a limited ceasefire

After weeks of escalating strikes on power plants and oil depots, the flickering lights of Kyiv and Moscow may soon shine a little steadier, as Russia and Ukraine have tentatively agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure—if both sides comply.

The deal emerged from a tense two-and-a-half-hour call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, during which the Russian leader dismissed a broader ceasefire but conceded to limiting attacks on power grids.

While Washington hailed the deal as progress, Ukrainian officials remained wary, seeing it as a strategic pause rather than a genuine shift in Russia's war posture. For now, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.