U.S. President Donald Trump claimed he secured a one-week pause on Russian missile strikes after a direct call with Vladimir Putin, aimed at sparing Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during a brutal winter cold wave. But within hours, Russia launched fresh missile and drone attacks across Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, setting cities ablaze and shattering hopes of a temporary truce. As explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital overnight, questions mount over Putin’s intent ahead of the next round of trilateral talks, and whether diplomacy has any real leverage as Moscow signals no compromise.