Monitoring Desk
KYIV: Ukraine has rejected an offer from the Russian President for a 36 hours ceasefire over Orthodox Christmas, saying there would be no cease-fire until Moscow withdraws its troops from occupied land.
Moscow said that Russian President Putin has ordered a 36 hours truce from midday (10:00 GMT) on Friday following a call for a Christmas ceasefire from the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
The Russian President said on Thursday that taking into account the appeal of Patriarch Kirill, he instructs the Minister of Defense of Russia to introduce a truce in Ukraine from 12.00 on January 6, to January 7.
Kyiv and Moscow
President Putin said that proceeding from the fact that citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the areas of hostilities, they call on the Ukrainian side to declare a truce and allow people to attend services on Christmas Day.
Kyiv quickly dismissed the proposal and said a ceasefire could only happen if Moscow leaves occupied territory in Ukraine. President’s adviser Mykhailo Podolyak added that Moscow must leave the occupied areas only then will it have a ceasefire. He posted on Twitter that Moscow should keep hypocrisy to itself.
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He further added that Ukraine is not attacking foreign territory or killing the civilian population, only destroying “men of occupation army on its territory”.
