The Corner

The Russo-Ukrainian Cease-Fire Trump Sought Is Already Over

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Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on the development of the chemical industry at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, February 2, 2026.

Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik/Pool via Reuters

From the outset of his second term in office, the president and his subordinates committed themselves to a peace offensive aimed at securing, if not a durable modus vivendi, at least a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. On Friday, he got one, but it barely survived the weekend. If you missed it, it’s already over.

Late last week, Trump announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “agreed” to stop bombing Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, which Putin had been doing to make the Ukrainian people suffer as much as possible in the unusually frigid temperatures that have lingered for weeks in Eastern Europe.

Noah Rothman

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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