Ukrainian President Zelensky Rejects Russia's Christmas Truce

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday rejected Moscow's offer for a ceasefire on Orthodox Christmas and called it a "cover-up" to strengthen frontline positions of Russia's armed forces.

Earlier in the day, following an appeal from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to implement a 36-hour Christmas truce between January 6-7 along the entire line of contact.

"Now Russia wants to use Christmas as a cover-up to at least shortly stop the advance of our guys in Donbas and bring equipment, ammunition, and mobilized men closer to our positions," Zelensky said in an evening address to the nations.

He believes Moscow is using the proposed truce as a "respite" to continue fighting "with renewed vigor."

Olexiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's national security and defense council, rejected the offer earlier on Thursday.

The UN secretary general’s spokesman said that Antonio Guterres would welcome a pause in fighting between Ukrainians and Russians during the holy period.

Washington and Berlin also rejected the offer of the truce. US President Joe Biden suggested that Putin was "trying to find some oxygen," while top German diplomat Annalena Baerbock argued that a truce would bring "neither freedom nor security."

Peter Stano, the spokesman of the European External Action Service, also told Sputnik on Thursday that Brussels does not believe in the proposed truce and would like to see concrete actions on the part of Russia, including the withdrawal of troops and equipment from Ukraine. He added that this unilateral ceasefire looks like Russia's attempt to buy some time to resupply and regroup troops.