Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Kyiv rejects Putin's Russian Orthodox Christmas truce

Kyiv rejects Putin's Russian Orthodox Christmas truce

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his defense minister to impose a 36-hour ceasefire on the Ukrainian front line.
The ceasefire— from 12:00 Moscow time (09:00 GMT) — coincides with the Russian Orthodox Christmas. Putin asked Ukraine to reciprocate, but Kyiv quickly rejected the request.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said the truce was an attempt to stop his country's military advances in the east of the country.

The Kremlin statement appeared to stress that President Putin ordered his troops to stop fighting not because he was de-escalating — Putin never de-escalates — but because he had listened to an appeal from the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Kirill had, earlier in the day, called for a Christmas truce to allow believers to attend services for Orthodox Christmas.

Putin's order called on Ukraine to reciprocate so that the "large numbers of Orthodox believers [who] reside in areas where hostilities are taking place" could celebrate Christmas Eve on Friday and Christmas Day on Saturday.

But in his nightly video address, President Zelensky said that Russia wanted to use the truce as a cover to stop Ukrainian advances in the eastern Donbas region and bring in more men and equipment.

The Russian Orthodox Church — the largest of the Eastern Orthodox Churches — celebrates Christmas Day on Jan. 7, according to the Julian calendar.

Some people in Ukraine celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, others on Jan. 7. Both days are public holidays in the country.

This year, for the first time, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine said it would allow its congregations to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, as do some other denominations in western Ukraine.

The Church split with the similarly named Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in 2018.

The UOC itself was tied to Moscow's religious leadership until Russia's invasion, and some of its top clergy have been accused of still covertly supporting Moscow.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said Moscow had repeatedly ignored President Zelensky's propositions for peace.

He pointed to Russia's shelling of Kherson on Dec. 24 and strikes on New Year's Eve as evidence of Moscow's inability to cease hostilities during religious holidays.

US President Joe Biden believes Putin was simply "trying to find some oxygen".

The Kremlin's ceasefire fits in nicely with a common narrative in Moscow, one that is aimed primarily at the domestic audience.

That is — that the Russians are the good guys, and it is Ukraine and the West that are threatening Russia.

The truce is also a handy tool that can be used to demonize Ukraine — as the Ukrainians have dismissed the proposal, Moscow will claim that Kyiv does not respect religious believers and has no desire for peace.

But it should not be forgotten that it was Russia who started this war by launching an unprovoked invasion of its neighbor.

The move also comes just 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 Makiivka.

The Russian Defense Ministry put the death toll at 89, making it the highest single loss of life admitted by Moscow since the war began.

Relatives of the dead, as well as some politicians and commentators, expressed anger over what happened in Makiivka and blamed incompetent military officials.

The incident happened on New Year's Eve — the most important holiday in the Russian calendar.

Political analyst Tatyana Stanovaya said that it is possible the Kremlin wants to ensure no more major loss of life occurs on another important Russian holiday.

"Putin really does not want a repetition of that on Orthodox Christmas Day," she wrote.

A few hours after Russia's ceasefire announcement, Germany said it would follow the US in providing a Patriot air defense missile system to Ukraine.

Germany also announced, in a joint statement with the US, that both countries would send armored vehicles.

France said on Wednesday that it would send armored fighting vehicles. Kyiv has repeatedly called for more aid from its international allies in the face of continuing Russian aggression.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×