The Kremlin has announced that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has ordered his forces to observe a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine, on the occasion of the Old Rite Orthodox Christmas, following a call to this effect by the Patriarch of Moscow, Kirill. Putin invited the Ukrainian forces to respect this truce, to enable the Orthodox, the majority denomination in both countries, to attend the Christmas services. Patriarch Kirill’s call had been rejected by the advisor to the Ukrainian Presidency, Mihailo Podoliak, who denounced, on Twitter, right before Putin’s announcement, what he called a cynical trap. Podoliak accused Putin of not having the slightest desire to end the war and of trying to convince the Europeans to put pressure on Kyiv for peace negotiations, an option that Ukraine has systematically refused. For his part, the American president, Joe Biden, appreciated that Putin wants „a breath of air”, by launching the truce in Ukraine, given that, on December 25 and the New Year, he was prepared to bomb hospitals, nurseries and churches.
