Why did Putin just call for a ceasefire in Ukraine? It has to do with a Russian holiday

Russia President Vladimir Putin called for a brief ceasefire in Ukraine, according to a Jan. 5 statement from the Kremlin. The call is the first major truce since Russia invaded Ukraine last February.

Putin instructed Russian troops in Ukraine to stop fighting for 36 hours, from noon on Jan. 6 until midnight on Jan. 7, according to the Kremlin’s statement.

Why did Putin call for a ceasefire?

So, what prompted this development in the ongoing war?

Putin’s call for a ceasefire came after an appeal from a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the statement said. The ceasefire will last the duration of Russian Orthodox Christmas, celebrated on Jan. 7.

The statement noted a large number of Orthodox people live in combat areas and called on Ukraine to declare a similar ceasefire to allow these people to attend church services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

How has Ukraine responded to the ceasefire?

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “appeared to reject” the ceasefire in his nightly address on Jan. 5, AFP reported.

Zelenskyy said Russian troops “want to use Christmas as a cover, albeit briefly, to stop” Ukrainian troops from advancing and “bring equipment, ammunitions and mobilised troops closer to our positions,” Al Jazeera reported.

“The war will end when Russian soldiers leave Ukraine or are thrown out,” Zelenskyy said, per AFP.

Earlier, one of the president’s advisors, Mykhailo Podolyak, dismissed Russia’s call for a ceasefire, calling it a “hypocrisy” on Twitter and saying Russian troops must “leave the occupied territories — only then will it have a ‘temporary truce.’”

Previously, Zelenskyy called on Russia to begin withdrawing for a “Christmas ceasefire,” Reuters reported on Dec. 14. A Kremlin spokesperson responded saying this was “not on the agenda,” the outlet reported.

What is Russian Orthodox Christmas?

The annual holiday is similar to Christmas celebrations among other Christian denominations across the world but celebrated on Jan. 7 due to calendar differences, the Independent reported.

Most Orthodox churches use the Julain calendar; the Russian Orthodox Church, and other Eastern Orthodox churches, use the Gergorian calendar, Caspian News reported. The calendars have a 13-day difference.

Russian Orthodox Christmas is typically celebrated by attending church services and enjoying a big family meal, the Independent reported.

Google Translate was used to translate the statement from the Kremlin.

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