Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, in the morning of January 5 called for a ceasefire in Ukraine on Orthodox Christmas, celebrated on January 7 in both Russia and Ukraine. By the afternoon, Russian President Vladimir Putin had issued orders for the ceasefire. Will Ukraine follow?
“I, Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and of all Rus, appeal to all parties involved in the internecine conflict with a call to cease fire and establish a Christmas truce from 12:00 on January 6 to 00:00 on January 7 so that Orthodox people can attend services on Christmas Eve and on the day of the Nativity of Christ,” he said on the church’s official website.
