Putin agrees to 30-day halt on energy facility strikes but no full Ukraine ceasefire

Experts said Putin avoided making significant concessions in what could be a play for time as Russian troops advance in eastern Ukraine. Picture: AP

Russian president Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday evening to stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities temporarily but declined to endorse a full 30-day ceasefire that US president Donald Trump hoped would be the first step toward a permanent peace deal.

Ukraine said it would support the scaled-back agreement, which would require both countries to hold off firing on each other's energy infrastructure for about a month.