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Putin instructs unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine on Orthodox Christmas

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Jan 2023 19:42
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The Russian President calls on Kiev to join the ceasefire so Orthodox Christians can celebrate the holiday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks on the phone to seven-year-old David Shmelev from Stavropol Krai region, a participant of the Fir Tree of Wishes charity campaign via videoconference from the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023 (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an order on Thursday to Russian forces in Ukraine to halt all military operations along the line of combat for 36 hours over Orthodox Christmas.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was instructed to implement the ceasefire between January 6 and 7.

"Taking into account an appeal by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, I instruct the Russian defense minister to introduce a ceasefire regime along the entire line of combat contact of the parties in Ukraine from 12:00 on January 6 [09:00 GMT] to 24:00 on January 7 [21:00 GMT]," Putin said according to a Kremlin statement.

“Proceeding from the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the areas of hostilities, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and allow them to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas Day,” the statement added.

Earlier in November, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada registered a bill calling for the imposition of a nationwide ban on the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

According to the European Solidarity Party, the bill would ban any institutions or organizations which are in part or totally affiliated to the Russian Orthodox faith from carrying out religious activities "in canonical, organizational and other issues," it said in a message on Telegram.

It further added that the bill aims to defend Ukraine's national security as it associates "the liberation of Ukraine from the Russian Orthodox Church [to] another step towards independent Ukraine."

Last December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an order authorizing the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) on restrictive measures against representatives of religious organizations allegedly connected with Russia to protect national security.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine declared on May 27, 2022, its complete break up from the Russian Orthodox Church due to disagreements over Russia's special military operation.

However, some bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church disagreed with the decision of the Council in Kiev to declare the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Therefore, certain dioceses, including in Donbas and Crimea, continued to practice the commemoration of Patriarch Kirill.