Kiev’s ceasefire rejection means fewer problems for Russian forces - Medvedev

Kiev has rejected the Christmas ceasefire proposed by Moscow, but that means less trouble for the Russian military, said Russia’s Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev.

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to introduce a ceasefire along the contact line in Ukraine from noon on January 6 until midnight on January 7.

 

Earlier, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia urged a truce “so that the orthodox believers can attend church services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.”

 

“The hand of Christian mercy was extended to Ukraine on the Great Holiday. Their leaders rejected it. I believe a majority of our servicemen involved in the special operation breathed out calmly on hearing the refusal  to cease fire on Christmas Day from the main Ukrainian clowns,” Medvedev wrote on Telegram. “(There’ll be) less trouble and guile.”

 

The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014.  The peace talks that began soon thereafter failed to reach tangible results due to Kiev’s position to settle the conflict by force.

 

On February 24, 2022 Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation to protect Donbass residents from Ukrainian aggression. Prior to that, LPR and DPR Heads Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin asked the Russian leader to provide military assistance. The LPR militia and Russian armed forces fully liberated the LPR territory from Ukrainian armed formations on July 3.

 

The Lugansk People’s Republic acceded to Russia on September 30, 2022 following the unification referendum.*i*ie