Ukraine conditions the acceptance of the old-fashioned Christmas truce proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday with the withdrawal of troops from its territory, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak said.

“One. Ukraine does not attack foreign territories and does not attack the civilian population. Like the Russian Federation. Ukraine destroys only the soldiers of the occupying army on its territory,” Podoliak wrote on Twitter late Thursday.

“Two. The Russian Federation must leave the occupied territories – only then will there be a ‘temporary truce’. Keep your hypocrisy to yourself,” he added.

Podolyak made his first comment to Kyiv after the Kremlin announced around 5:30 p.m. Thursday that President Vladimir Putin had ordered a cease-fire on the entire front line in Ukraine ahead of Christmas Eve and Christmas according to the old rite, which is celebrated on January 7.

“In view of the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to implement a ceasefire regime along the entire contact line in Ukraine from 12:00 on January 6 of this year until 24:00. January 7 of this year,” says the document published by the Kremlin press service.

On Thursday morning, Patriarch Kirill of Russia called for a truce on the eve of the celebration of the Old Rite Christmas according to the Julian calendar on January 7.

“I, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, appeal to all parties to the conflict with a request to cease fire and establish a Christmas truce from January 6, 12:00 to January 7 (midnight), so that the Orthodox can participate in divine services on the eve of Christmas and for Christmas,” says the address of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, published on the website of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Ukraine no longer believes Russia’s promises

Ukraine rejected the appeal of Patriarch Kirill, known for his numerous statements in support of the war launched by Vladimir Putin on February 24, and Mykhailo Podolyak also said on Twitter that it was a “cynical trap and an element of propaganda.”

The Ukrainian official also noted that the Russian Orthodox Church is not an authority for world Orthodoxy and acts only as a “propagandist of war.”

“The Russian Orthodox Church called for the genocide of Ukrainians and encouraged mass murder, insisting on the further militarization of Russia. Therefore, the Russian Orthodox Church’s calls for a “Christmas truce” are a cynical trap and an element of propaganda,” the president’s adviser believes.

His comments came after Russia promptly rejected President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s peace offer on February 12 ahead of Ukraine’s increasingly popular Gregorian Christmas celebrations.

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