Russia’s Patriarch Kirill Calls for Christmas Ceasefire

Jan. 5, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)—Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia released a statement on Jan. 5, in which he called for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine on Jan. 7 for the celebration of Orthodox Christmas. Patriarch Kirill’s statement read: “I, Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, appeal to all parties involved in the internecine conflict to cease fire and establish a Christmas truce from 12:00 p.m. January 6 to 12:00 a.m. January 8, so the Orthodox people can attend services on Christmas Eve and on the day of the Nativity of Christ.”

In the afternoon, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is Supreme Commander in Chief of Russia’s Armed Forces, issued the following orders, which were posted to the Presidential website: “Upon consideration of the address from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Defense Minister of the Russian Federation to introduce a ceasefire along the entire line of contact in Ukraine from 12.00 on January 6, 2023 to 24.00 on January 7, 2023.

“As a large number of Orthodox Christians reside in the area of hostilities, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire to allow them to attend church services on Christmas Eve as well as on Christmas Day.”

Mykhailo Podolyak, (in Ukrainian) adviser to the Head of the Office of the Ukrainian President, tweeted the following disgusting reply to Patriarch Kirill:

“First. Ukraine does not attack foreign territory and does not kill the civilian population, as Russia does. Ukraine only destroys members of the occupation army on its territory... Second. The Russian Federation must leave the occupied territories—only then will a ‘temporary truce’ begin. Leave the hypocrisy to yourself... that the announcement was propaganda and a cynical trap.”