On January 6, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 36-hour ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine, beginning at 12:00 Moscow time (09:00 GMT) on January 7. The ceasefire, which coincides with Russian Orthodox Christmas, was requested by Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who called for a Christmas truce to allow believers to attend church services.
The ceasefire is intended to allow Orthodox believers in areas of conflict to celebrate Christmas Eve on January 7 and Christmas Day on January 8. The Ukrainian government rejected the request, calling it a “propaganda gesture” and “trivial ploy.” The conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and has escalated into a war in eastern Ukraine.
It appears that Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine in order to allow Orthodox believers in the region to celebrate Christmas. The move has been met with skepticism from Ukrainian officials, who have dismissed it as a “propaganda gesture” and an attempt by Russia to invite pressure on Ukraine from European countries.
The ceasefire proposal comes a few days after a large number of Russian troops were killed in a Ukrainian strike on a temporary barracks in the occupied Ukrainian city of Makiyivka. Some analysts have suggested that the Kremlin may be seeking to avoid another major loss of life on an important Russian holiday.
Source: BBC
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