Putin announces 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine. The Kremlin said the Russian president ordered the ceasefire to be held on the occasion of an Orthodox holiday.

The 36-hour ceasefire will be in effect from Friday 12 noon to Saturday midnight local time in Ukraine, according to news reports.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, called on both sides to observe a Christmas truce on Thursday, reports said. But Kiev rejected Putin’s order to observe the ceasefire as a trap.

In his order, Putin said, “Considering the request of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I am instructing the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to initiate a 36-hour ceasefire from January 6.”

Earlier, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill, called for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia from Friday afternoon to Saturday midnight. According to the ancient Julian calendar, many Orthodox Christians, including those living in Russia and Ukraine, will observe the big day on January 6-7. In addition, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the Great Day on January 7 every year.