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President of Russia Vladimir Putin ordered a 36-hour truce for Orthodox Christmas. The order was quickly rejected by Ukraine and its allies.
Reported AFP extensionFriday (6/1/2023), management Put in The announcement to his troops came days after Moscow suffered its deadliest losses in the invasion, and as Ukrainian backers pledged to send a second Patriot armored vehicle and air defense battery to help Kiev.
For your information, Russia and Ukraine both celebrate Orthodox Christmas. Putin’s order also comes following calls for a ceasefire by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, who is a staunch supporter of Putin.
“Taking into account the call of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I have instructed the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to implement… a ceasefire along the lines of contact between the parties in Ukraine,” the Kremlin statement read.
The Kremli said the ceasefire would last from noon on Friday (0900 GMT), until the end of Saturday (2100 GMT).
Kyiv quickly condemned the move. “Russia must leave the occupied territories – only then will there be a ‘temporary truce’,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
“Keep the hypocrisy to yourself,” he added.
US President Joe Biden also downplayed the announcement Put in. “He’s ready to bomb hospitals and churches on December 25 and New Year’s Day,” he said.
“I think he’s looking for oxygen,” Biden added.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted: “A 36-hour lull in Russian attacks will do nothing to further the prospects for peace.”
Watch the video: Joe Biden’s response to Putin’s order for a ceasefire in Ukraine
(May/Summer)
