KREMLIN’S DECLARATION
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to declare a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine at the request of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill.
Ukraine is not taking Vladimir Putin's Christmas ceasefire offer seriously
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) January 5, 2023
Russia's attacks on Ukrainian cities on New Years Day have discredited Putin's olive branch attempt
“As a large number of Orthodox Christians reside in the area of hostilities, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire to allow them to attend church services on Christmas Eve as well as on Christmas Day,” the Kremlin noted in a statement.
However, Patriarch Kirill’s support for the Ukraine war, including telling Russian troops that death on the battlefield would “wash away all sins,” has left the Orthodox sector divided. In fact, the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church separated from the Moscow Patriarch in May over his war propaganda.
UKRAINE’S REJECTION
In his nightly address on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that Russia does not “value life” and does not “seek peace,” pointing out that the Kremlin wants to “use Christmas as a cover to stop the advance of our guys in Donbas for a while and bring equipment, ammunition and mobilised men closer to our positions.”
First. Ukraine doesn't attack foreign territory & doesn't kill civilians. As RF does. Ukraine destroys only members of the occupation army on its territory...
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) January 5, 2023
Second. RF must leave the occupied territories - only then will it have a "temporary truce". Keep hypocrisy to yourself.
“Everyone in the world knows how the Kremlin uses respites at war to continue the war with renewed vigour,” Zelensky stressed, declaring that “the war will be over when your soldiers either leave or we drive them out.” He further noted that ever since he announced the 10-point peace formula in November, over 110,000 Russian troops have died to date.
Along the same lines, Ukraine’s Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov told the Ukraina-24 TV channel, “No talks with them [Moscow],” in reference to the ceasefire.
REACTIONS
Following Putin’s announcement, US President Joe Biden said it was “interesting” that Putin was “ready to bomb hospitals and nurseries and churches on the 25th and New Year’s.” Biden said: “I think he’s trying to find some oxygen.”
President @ZelenskyyUa has proposed a clear Peace Formula of ten steps. Russia has been ignoring it and instead shelling Kherson on Christmas Eve, launching mass missile and drone strikes on New Year. Their current “unilateral ceasefire” can not and should not be taken seriously.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) January 5, 2023
Similarly, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price called Putin's declaration “cynical,” noting that “it can’t be considered a ceasefire if the intent is to train their fire with even more vengeance, with even more ferocity, with even more lethality against the people of Ukraine,” raising concern that Russia may use the temporary truce “to rest, to refit, to regroup and ultimately to re-attack.”
Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov condemned the US for lacking “any desire for a political settlement” to the crisis. “All this means that Washington is committed to fighting with us “to the last Ukrainian,” while the destiny of people of Ukraine means nothing to the US,” he underlined, adding “Nobody should still have doubts who bears responsibility for prolonging this conflict.”
UKRAINE CLAIMS 800 RUSSIAN DEATHS IN A DAY
Putin’s announcement comes against the backdrop of the Ukrainian military stating that Russia lost 800 troops, one aircraft, a helicopter, and three tanks on Thursday while fighting in the Bakhmut region, eastern Ukraine. Ukraine also recorded an unknown number of civilian casualties due to Russian air, missile, and rocket attacks on Bakhmut, as well as Kostiantynivka and Kurakhove in the Donetsk region.
Eine sogenannte Feuerpause bringt den Menschen, die unter russischer Besatzung in täglicher Angst leben, weder Freiheit noch Sicherheit. Deshalb werden wir die Ukrainer*innen weiter unterstützen- damit sie wieder in Frieden und Selbstbestimmung leben können. 2/2
— Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock (@ABaerbock) January 5, 2023
Furthermore, hours before declaring the temporary truce, Putin spoke with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who urged the Russian President to declare a “unilateral ceasefire” in Ukraine and outline a “vision for a fair solution” to the conflict.