A senior Ukrainian official has dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a 36-hour truce as hypocritical and said a “temporary truce” would only be possible when Russia gives up territory it has seized in Ukraine
Earlier, Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces to implement a ceasefire in Ukraine on January 6 and 7, on the occasion of Christmas, following the appeal made by Patriarch Kirill, the Kremlin announced.
“Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instructed the Russian Ministry of Defense to implement a ceasefire along the contact line from 12:00 on January 6 until 24:00 on the 7th,” the Kremlin statement said.
Due to the fact that a large number of Orthodox live in the areas of hostilities, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and allow them to attend the service on Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas Day,” Putin added.
