Vladimir Putin, President of Russia. Photo: AP.
The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin ordered a ceasefire for the entire front line in Ukraine on January 6 at 12:00 (Moscow time) for the Orthodox Christmas, the Kremlin reported today.
Putin ordered the cessation of hostilities extended to the entire line of contact until midnight on January 7, the Russian government said.
According to the Kremlin, the president called on the Ukrainian side to also declare a ceasefire and allow Orthodox citizens to attend the Christmas service.
The statement of the head of state highlights that, at the request of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, he ordered the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to introduce a ceasefire regime for 36 hours.
Likewise, the text states that taking into account the fact that the vast majority of combatants on both sides profess Orthodoxy, the Ukrainian military authorities are urged to also declare a temporary cessation of hostilities.
If they are respected, believers will be given the opportunity to attend worship services on Christmas Eve and on the day of the Nativity of Christ, the Russian president also said.
Ukraine does not support the idea of a ceasefire
Advisor to the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Mikhail Podoliak, called the calls for a ceasefire “a cynical trap and an element of propaganda”.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Alexei Danilov, for his part, stressed that Ukraine will not negotiate a Christmas ceasefire with Russia.
Christmas is celebrated in Orthodox Christian communities on the night of January 6th to 7th.
(With information from Prensa Latina and Russia Today)