Ukraine has dismissed an offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin for a 36-hour ceasefire over Orthodox Christmas, saying there would be no truce until Russia withdraws its forces from occupied land.
The Kremlin said Putin had ordered a 36-hour ceasefire from midday (10:00 GMT) on Friday after a call for a Christmas truce from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
“Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to introduce a cease-fire regime along the entire line of contact of the parties in Ukraine from 12.00 on January 6, 2023, to 24.00 on January 7, 2023,” Putin said in a statement on Thursday.
“Proceeding from the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the areas of hostilities, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a cease-fire and allow them to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas Day,” Putin said.
A senior Ukrainian official quickly dismissed the proposal and said a ceasefire could only happen if Russia leaves occupied territory. Ukraine’s security services have cracked down on Mosow-linked churches and raided properties accused of engaging in the anti-Ukrainian activity. The Kremlin says Putin is ready for talks, but only if Ukraine recognises Moscow’s “right to seize foreign territories”. Kyiv’s President Petro Podolyak calls that demand “fully unacceptable”. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also said he is ready to mediate a possible ceasefire with Ukraine.
