Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has given the country’s defense minister orders to impose a cease-fire in Ukraine over the Orthodox Christmas holiday.
On January 6, at noon, the 36-hour cease-fire will begin.
Many people typically observe Orthodox Christmas on January 6 and 7.
According to the Kremlin’s press office, Putin made the declaration in response to the Russian Patriarch Kirill’s earlier request that firearms be silenced during the Orthodox holiday.
According to a statement on the Kremlin website, “We call on the Ukrainian side to observe a ceasefire and permit them to visit Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services because a significant number of residents of the Orthodox religion live in numerous locations of the combat zone.”
Patriarch Kirill has always backed the Kremlin’s actions in Ukraine, even urging Russian soldiers that their deaths would “wipe away all sins” if they died in the service of their country.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, called Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier on Thursday and requested that the latter enact a unilateral cease-fire in support of peace talks.
According to a statement on the Kremlin website, “We call on the Ukrainian side to observe a ceasefire and permit them to visit Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services because a significant number of residents of the Orthodox religion live in numerous locations of the combat zone.”
