Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered Russian forces to implement a unilateral ceasefire for Orthodox Christmas beginning at noon on Friday and lasting through Saturday, but Ukrainian officials have rejected the idea of a truce.
Putin’s order came after the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, called on both sides to stop fighting for Orthodox Christmas, which is celebrated on January 7.
“Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to introduce a ceasefire regime along the entire line of contact of the parties in Ukraine from 12:00 on January 6, 2023, to 24:00 on January 7, 2023,” Putin’s order reads.
A Kremlin statement called on the Ukrainian side to allow a truce for people to attend Christmas services. “Based on the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the combat areas, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and give them the opportunity to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on the Day of the Nativity of Christ,” the statement said.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, rejected Putin’s order, calling it “hypocrisy.” He said the only way there could be a “temporary truce” is if Russia withdraws from the Ukrainian territories it has captured. Podolyak earlier rejected Patriarch Kirill’s calls for a Christmas truce, calling it a “cynical trap.”
Asked about Putin’s order, President Biden said, “I’m reluctant to respond to anything that Putin says … I think he’s trying to find some oxygen.”
They are true to their color, responding as expected.
Peace has to start somewhere. If people will allow it, it could lead to the possibilities of peace.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russias-patriarch-kirill-calls-both-sides-implement-truce-orthodox-christmas
Ukraine rejects the ceasefire idea.
There can be no peace while NATO funds trains and equips Nazi’s. There can be no peace until NATO surrenders and hands Ukraine its sovereignty back, that is if a Ukraine even exists in the future.
NATO started this war and Moscow will end it on their terms.
This comes from the people who have occupied western Donbass for years, shelled Donbass and especially the people in Donetsk City repeatedly for now eight years, and who in February 2022 ramped up that bombing campaign to 1,400 artillery shells per day in preparation for an invasion of the unoccupied parts of Donbass. But it’s Russia that should withdraw.
If Kiev regime agrees for a ceasefire, it would look indeed as a hypocrisy because Orthodox Church is forbidden by Kiev regime.
As well as opposition political parties. There is no democracy in Ukraine its a military Junta with people living under NATO’s jackboot.
No, the Orthodox Church isn’t forbidden by the Kiev regime. The Moscow Patriarchate is. There’s a difference.
Western leaders have basically resorted to mocking Putin over this, and using it as a . . another reason to insult Russia.
This is about the strongest way possible that the West can say unequivocally that this war will escalate, and it will last for a long time.
Don’t forget to take a break from it and tune it out once in a while.
The western alliance’ governments are scum. How is the saying: tell me your friends and I tell you who you are.
They are insanely stupid and lawless, they don’t even pretend to have character. What trash we have for leaders, they hound private citizens, confiscate their bank accounts imprison and sanction them. The kind of democracy these low live people practice is a POS, enough to make you vomit.
Well, it is actually funny. Really funny. And Putin should be ashamed of himself. He has ruined the honor, respect and reputation of the Russian Army.
Everytime NATO escalates Moscow counters. Right now if i was a NATO member i would be extremely worried. But you go on living your fantasy.
The fact is that Moscow has offered peace a number of times NATO has rejected it every time.
The peace is unprofitable for MIC and for NATO. It is all about money.
What fantasy?
We are sending 100s of tomahawk missiles to Japan, and dozens of light vehicles to Ukraine.
Enough stuff to Ukraine to stalemate Russia, with China being the real war.
Which is perfectly consistent with what you typed in.
We are positioning ourselves for a two front war. My take on it is that Putin and Xi need to defeat the US in a way that avoids nuclear war. This is not a fantasy, but a nightmare as Biden has made it clear that he is more than willing to launch masses of nuclear weapons.
There is no way we can be victorious in the upcoming 2 front war. After all, with just 1 front, after the Russian initial offensive and our counter offensive, Russia controls around 20% of Ukraine.
NATO overall has accumulated the following equipment losses;
355 Aircraft, 199 helicopters, 2807 UAV’s, 399 Anti Aircraft systems, 7382 tanks inc. APC’s, 967 multiple rocket launchers, 3768 rocket launchers and 7900 military automotive equipment.
Dissarm and Denazification. they can keep the weapons and troop formations coming. Europe is collapsing under the NATO jackboot.
Russia continues to mobilise the country for war. Approx 1.2 million reserves and volunteers under arms.
I tend to discount numbers from either side. Here is what I do not discount
Drones that Ukraine bought from Turkey were decimating Russian forces. Well for about 2 weeks. Apparently Russia found a counter.
Now cheap Russian drones are a large part of Russia’s arsenal, including decoys. US still has no counter. Iranian drones earlier in Saudi Arabia already proved that Patriot systems could NOT counter them.
Stingers and Javelins would DESTROY Russian air and armor assets. The only recent stories about both is that we have already depleted a large portion of our stocks, and it would take years to get to even a low rate of production.
Before: Our counter offensive would SURROUND AND DESTROY massive numbers of Russian elite troops.
After: We took a lot of land. LOTS OF ACRES.
Based on this, and other stories (and oh yeah, the Russian mod reports seem to be about the most honest source of information I’ve encountered), I have no doubt that Russia can at least stalemate NATO.
I am not sure about the other way around.
Very interesting all you said.
Yes, Russia can probably stalemate NATO in your opinion, but… Isn’t Russia asking Ukraine for couple days off?
BTW:
“Based on this, and other stories (and oh yeah, the Russian mod reports seem to be about the most honest source of information I’ve encountered), ”
If you call that honest source… You are way out there, bruh.
Podolyak,another adolescent. I wonder if they all still have pimples.
This is more proof that the SMO strategy of Dissarming and Denazifying Western populations is hitting the golden billion hard. All other sources of hardware are exhausted. NATO has become so desperate that they are continually escalating.
NATO is now starting to use its NATO standards stocks of weaponry and also is now considering using actual NATO forces in Ukraine. All that NATO is achieving in Ukraine is its destruction. Things are very bleak for Ukraine, Ukraine will not exist at the end of this SMO thanks to NATO.
So the second largest ground force in the world, who has been leveling cities and killing civilians indiscriminately in Ukraine, is asking for a day off? Is this really happening? The Doberman asking the chihuahua for a time out?
100% sure it is not a truce in the name of peace or any Gods but rather in a “things just got out of control” name.
If Russians want to go to Church, go home.
I would not be surprised if the Ukrainians hit them even harder this weekend as a Christmas gesture.
“President Putin announces Christmas truce. The cessation of hostilities in Ukraine is to last
from noon on Friday until midnight on Saturday, the Kremlin has
announced”
“Judging by the fact that a lot of citizens who practice the
Orthodox religion live in the embattled area, we call upon the Ukrainian
side to proclaim a cessation of hostilities and give them the
opportunity to attend services on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day,”
Fat Chance many of the fascists are Polish-Lithuanian Ukrainian Catholics or other religions. They will try to kill as many Orthodox Ukrainians as they can.
Please Russia make sure the young men do not turn on their cell phones. The Ukrainians will lash out in any way they can.
Hopefully Russian troops will be on watch as Ukraine will try to take back territory during any cease fire.
Please learn from the US in Vietnam when the North Vietnamese attacked during the lunar New Year in the Tet Offensive January 30, 1968. It was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War.
Biden just can’t bring himself to publicly admit that Putin has done something good. As a result, Putin looks more human/less Orc and both Biden and Zelensky look less human… so far.
If Ukraine launches a significant attack during the Christmas ceasefire, Zelensky’s “good guy” image will take a beating.
If Ukraine launches a significant attack during the Christmas ceasefire, it will be portrayed by Ukraine/EU/US/NATO as a Russian attack to which Ukrainian forces responded.
And if Russia launches a significant attack during the Christmas ceasefire, it will be portrayed by Russia as a Ukrainian attack to which Russian forces responded.
Hopefully neither side will launch an attack, but that seems unlikely.
Russia has continued to take territory near Soledar, while not presenting it as a result of Ukrainian attack – the attacks in Bakhmut also did not abate actually the shelling supposedly increased – and again there no indication I’ve seen of the Russian blaming a Ukrainian attack provoked it.