Ukraine rejects Putin’s request for Christmas ceasefire

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a 36-hour ceasefire on the Ukraine front line, set to begin on Friday at 9:00 AM GMT. The ceasefire, which coincides with the Russian Orthodox Christmas, was requested by the Russian Orthodox Church and is meant to allow believers to attend church services. Putin has called on Ukraine to reciprocate the ceasefire, but Ukraine has rejected the request, with President Volodymyr Zelensky stating that the truce is an attempt to stop the country’s military advances. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmitro Kuleba, has accused Russia of ignoring propositions for peace and cited recent hostilities on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve as evidence. The US President, Joe Biden, believes that Putin is simply “trying to find some oxygen”. Putin has justified his actions in Ukraine as a response to the threat of NATO expansion.