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2023 Russian Christmas truce proposal

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On 5 January 2023, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, called on both sides of the war in Ukraine for a Orthodox Christmas truce.[1] On the evening of the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to declare a temporary ceasefire along the entire line of contact between Russian and Ukrainian troops.[2][3]

The truce proposal was immediately rejected by the Ukrainian authorities, who called it a "cynical trap".[4][5][6][7]

Background

Many Orthodox Christians, including those living in Russia and Ukraine, celebrate Christmas on 6-7 January.[1] However, following the Russian invasion, an increasingly high number of Ukrainians have begun celebrating Christmas on the 25th of December instead.[8]

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow often talks about the war in his sermons, justifying the invasion, qualifying it as “infighting,” and calling the Russian Orthodox towards “spiritual mobilization.” These statements finally pushed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) to declare independence from the Moscow Patriarchy.[9] In June 2022, both the UK and Canada added Patriarch Kirill to their sanction lists.[4]

Russian unilateral ceasefire

Following the proposal of Patriarch Kirill, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to declare a temporary ceasefire along the entire line of contact between Russian and Ukrainian troops in connection with Orthodox Christmas. According to the announcement, the ceasefire will be in effect from noon on January 6 until midnight on January 7. “Given that a large number of Orthodox citizens live in combat zones, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and give them the chance to attend a service on Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas,” read Putin’s statement.[2] The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that it will fulfill Putin's order to introduce a ceasefire for Christmas.[10]

Reactions

Ukraine

The Ukrainian President’s Office called Patriarch Kirill’s earlier request for a ceasefire a “cynical trap and an element of propaganda.” Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said that the Russian Orthodox Church is not an authority for Orthodox believers worldwide and that he’s “acting as a war propagandist,” including by calling for “the genocide of Ukrainians.”[2]

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said that Ukraine would not negotiate with the Russian Federation on a Christmas truce. “Let's talk practical language. To whom are they offering this truce? To yourself?" Danilov said, offering the Russian troops a "simple solution" - to "pick up their suitcases" and go home. “No negotiations with them ... This priest came up with some kind of date. It has nothing to do with us. This is our land. We on our land will do what we consider necessary,” he added.[10]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Russia would be using "the so-called truce" to stop the advance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the east.[11] In an evening video message Zelenskyy claimed that "in order to end the war faster" instead of a temporary truce "something completely opposite is needed" and that being "Russian citizens to find the courage to free themselves from their shameful fear of one person in the Kremlin."[12]

Russia

Acting head of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, said that it was only about a ceasefire. “The decision concerns a ceasefire or offensive action on our part. But this does not mean that we will not respond to the provocations of the enemy!” he stressed.[10]

Russian pro-war Telegram channels criticized the ceasefire initiative, the Agency drew attention. The Rybar Telegram channel, which has over a million subscribers, wrote, “Maybe it’s enough to cast pearls in front of pigs? They still don't appreciate it." Yuri Kotenok and Roman Saponkov noted that the ceasefire regime is unilateral, will not be respected and looks like "defeatism". The Military Informant channel linked the ceasefire announcement to the conversation between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: “Apparently, the proposal received today from Erdogan’s respected and purely neutral partner turned out to be too tempting not to make another goodwill gesture.”[10]

Others

By declaring a unilateral truce, Putin is seeking a breather, according to US President Joe Biden. Asked by journalists to comment on Putin's initiative, he noted that Russia continued to bomb Ukrainian "hospitals, kindergartens and churches" on Christmas day 2022 ("on the 25th") and New Year. “I think he [Putin] is trying to take a breath of air,” the American president added.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Reuters (2023-01-05). "Russian patriarch calls for Orthodox Christmas truce in Ukraine". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-01-05. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ a b c "Putin instructs Russian Defense Minister to declare ceasefire for Orthodox Christmas". Meduza. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  3. ^ "Putin Orders a Surprise 36-Hour Cease-Fire for Orthodox Christmas". Bloomberg.com. 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  4. ^ a b "Zelensky's office criticizes Orthodox Patriarch Kirill's Christmas truce proposal". Meduza. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  5. ^ "Putin has ordered a "Christmas truce" which may be a "cynical trap," Ukrainian officials warned (updated)". Euromaidan Press. 5 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Ukraine rejects Vladimir Putin's call for Orthodox Christmas truce". ABC News. 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  7. ^ Reuters (2023-01-05). "Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Ukraine spurns Putin's Christmas truce". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-01-05. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  8. ^ "Christmas comes early: Ukrainian church allows December 25 celebrations for first time". Politico. 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  9. ^ "Resolution of the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of May 27, 2022". Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patrirachate) (in Ukrainian). 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
    "Ukraine's Moscow-backed Orthodox church says cuts ties with Russia". Alarabiya News. 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
    "Война в Украине и религия" [War in Ukraine and Religion] (in Russian). Voice of America. 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  10. ^ a b c d "Путин поручил российской армии прекратить огонь в Украине на Рождество — якобы чтобы верующие сходили в церковь В офисе Зеленского отреагировали словами «Лицемерие оставьте себе»". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  11. ^ Tetiana Lozovenko (2023-01-05). "Putin wants to use Christmas as a cover to stop the Ukrainian Armed Forces – Zelenskyy". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  12. ^ Tetiana Lozovenko (2023-01-05). "Zelenskyy to Russians: Free yourself from fear of one person at least for Christmas". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  13. ^ Reuters (2023-01-05). "Biden says Putin trying to find 'oxygen' with truce proposal". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-01-05. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
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