Putin orders a two-day ceasefire in Ukraine

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered a ceasefire in Ukraine on January 6-7.

The Kremlin indicated that Moscow is urging the Ukrainian side to declare a cease-fire and allow people to attend services on Orthodox Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas Day.

The ceasefire announcement came shortly after Putin spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“In view of the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation (Sergei Shoigu) to introduce a cease-fire regime along the entire line of contact between the parties in Ukraine from 12:00 (0900 GMT) in January. From 6, 2023 to 24:00 (2100 GMT) on January 7, 2023″.

“Based on the fact that a large number of people professing Orthodoxy live in the combat zones, 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.”

Earlier on Thursday, Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, called for a truce in Ukraine for Christmas, which most Orthodox Christians celebrate on January 7, which falls on a Saturday.