The news comes in the afternoon. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, accepted the appeal of Patriarch Kirill and ordered a ceasefire in war in Ukraine on Orthodox Christmas. As reported by the Tass news agency, quoting a note from the Kremlin, the Russian leader instructed the defense minister to cease hostilities “along the entire line of contact in the special military operation zone” from 12 today 6 January at midnight tomorrow.
“Based on the fact that a large number of professing Orthodox citizens live in the areas of hostilities, we request the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and give them the opportunity to participate in the services on Christmas Eve, as well as on the day of the nativity of Christ”, reads the note.
Ukraine’s reply comes via rumor of Mikhailo Podolyakadviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “Keep the Hypocrisy to Yourself” Podolyak’s words. “First, Ukraine does not attack foreign territory and kill civilians, as the Russian Federation does,” wrote the adviser to the Ukrainian president. “Ukraine only destroys members of the occupation army on its territory. Second, the Russia must leave the occupied territories, only then will there be a ‘temporary truce'”.
Previously Kiev had rejected to sender, as propaganda “cynical trap”., the proposal for a Christmas truce launched by the Russian patriarch Kirill. “The Russian Orthodox Church is not an authority on global Orthodoxy. The Russian Orthodox Church advocates genocide of Ukrainians, incites mass murder and insists on even greater militarization of Russia. Hence, the statement of the Russian Orthodox Church on the ‘Christmas truce’ is a cynical trap and propaganda element,” Councilor Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
On Twitter, the Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kulebacommented: ‘President Zelensky has proposed a clear ten-point formula for peace. Russia ignored it and instead bombed Kherson on Christmas Eve, launching mass missile and drone strikes on New Year’s Eve. Their’ unilateral ceasefire’ cannot and should not be taken seriously”.
THE REACTIONS – Putin “is looking for some oxygen” declared the American president Joe Biden speaking to reporters at the White House, with a premise: “I’m reluctant to respond to anything Putin says. I found it interesting. He was ready to bomb hospitals, day care centers and churches on 25 (December, ed) and on New Year’s.”
For the US State Department spokesman, Ned Price, the ceasefire is a “cynical” measure in which the United States places “little trust”. Price added that a temporary lull in fighting could be used by Moscow to “regroup, regroup and finally go back on strike”.
“There is an aggressor: the Kremlin. And a victim: the Ukrainian people. The withdrawal of Russian troops is the only serious option to restore peace and security. The announcement of a unilateral ceasefire is both bogus and hypocritical how illegal and grotesque the annexations and related referenda are” tweeted the president of the European Council, Charles Michel.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock he dismissed the “so-called” ceasefire ordered by Putin to coincide with Orthodox Christmas as a step that “brings neither freedom nor security for civilians who live under Russian occupation every day”. “That is why we will continue to support Ukrainians, so they can live in peace and be able to return to self-determine their future,” he added. “If Putin wanted peace, he would bring his soldiers home and the war would end. But apparently he wants to continue the war, after a short break,” Baerbock added in a tweet.
The Secretary General of the United Nations Anthony Guterres welcomes any ceasefire introduced in Ukraine to coincide with the Orthodox Christmas, even if, he specified, a truce does not replace a just and lasting peace.
ERDOGAN-PUTIN – Before the truce was announced yesterday Putin had a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine must be supported by a ”unilateral ceasefire” and by a ”vision for a fair solution” the Turkish president told the Kremlin leader, as reported by the presidency of Ankara in a note.
Putin for his part explained that Russia is open to dialogue with Ukraine but that Kiev should accept the “new territorial realities”. In the phone call between the two presidents, Putin reiterated Russia’s openness to a serious dialogue, provided that the Kiev authorities meet these well-known and repeatedly expressed requirements.
ERDOGAN-ZELENSKY – Erdogan also had a conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. “Turkey is ready to take on the task of facilitating and mediating to achieve a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine,” said the Turkish president.
During the talks, the Turkish presidency reported in a statement, the two leaders spoke of humanitarian aid, Turkey’s energy support for Ukraine and developments linked to the agreement on the grain corridor. Stressing then that the work on the exchange of prisoners continues, Erdogan offered his country’s diplomatic contribution also to speed up the process relating to the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
“I am happy to know that Turkey is ready to participate in the implementation of our peace formula” Zelensky wrote on Twitter, after the telephone conversation with Erdogan, with whom, he explained, he discussed “cooperation on security, in especially in Zaporizhzhia, where there should be no invaders, of the exchange of prisoners of war, of the development of the grain agreement”.
BIDEN SCHOLZ – The day was also marked by the news that the US and Germany will continue to provide Ukraine with “the necessary financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support for as long as necessary”. This was reiterated by the American president, Joe Biden, and the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, during a telephone conversation focused on the ongoing war.
According to a statement from the White House, the United States will supply Kiev with Bradley tanks, and Germany with Marders. Both countries plan to train Ukrainian forces on their respective systems.
In light of Russia’s continued missile and drone strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, Biden and Scholz underlined plans to further bolster Ukraine’s air defense capability, with Germany joining the United States in providing an additional Patriot battery.
“We are strengthening the defense of Ukraine every day. With all the leaders I always discuss two things: more support for the defense of our state, that is, more weapons for our army, and more protection for all Ukrainians – protection on land, in sky and sea,” Zelensky remarked on Facebook. ” Today – he added – I want to thank President Biden and Chancellor Scholz for the decision to strengthen our defense, a very important decision. We will have another battery of Patriots and powerful armored vehicles – this is truly a great victory for our country”.