LIVE – War in Ukraine: the Russian ceasefire must begin this Friday at noon

This Thursday, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, asked his soldiers deployed in Ukraine cessation of hostilities on January 6 and 7, within the framework of Orthodox Christmas. This is the first major truce since the start of the conflict on February 24.

This decision by the Russian president comes after an appeal by the patriarch cyril, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. This former KGB member is one of the pillars of Vladimir Putin’s regime, and has never hidden his support for Moscow’s “special operation” in Ukraine.

“In view of the call of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I order the Russian Defense Minister to introduce a ceasefire regime along the entire line of contact between the parties in Ukraine from 12 midnight on January 6. of this year until midnight on January 7. Vladimir Putin said.

> Our full article can be found here.

The United States and Germany will deliver American Bradley-type and German Marder-type armored infantry vehicles to Ukraine, taking Western military support for Kyiv to a new level in the fight against the Russian invasion.

“The war in Ukraine has reached a tipping point,” Joe Biden said at a White House meeting on Thursday, adding that “the Russians are not (relaxing) on ​​anything,” before announcing an increase in the US support for Ukraine.

Germany, under international pressure to step up its military assistance to Ukraine, has also pledged to provide a Patriot air defense battery, as the United States has already done.

> Our full article can be found here.

While the ceasefire, decreed by Russia for Orthodox Christmas, should come into force this Friday at noon, the international community has denounced Vladimir Putin’s hypocrisy.

For the US president, Vladimir Putin seeks to “give himself some air.” He “was ready to bomb hospitals, day care centers and churches (…) on December 25 and New Year’s Eve,” Joe Biden joked.

This ceasefire “will do nothing to advance the prospects for peace,” reacted the British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, calling for a permanent withdrawal of Russian forces. Such a truce will not bring “neither freedom nor security” in Ukraine, German diplomacy abounded.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered a ceasefire in Ukraine for Orthodox Christmas on January 6 and 7, the first major truce since the invasion began nearly a year ago, lashed out by Kyiv, which denounces “hypocrisy” and the desire to gain time.

For Volodymyr Zelensky, the unilateral ceasefire is, according to him, just an “excuse with the aim of at least stopping the advance of our troops in the Donbass and bringing equipment, ammunition and bringing men closer to our positions.”

“What will be the result? No more deaths,” he said.

The truce should enter into force from noon this Friday (11 am French time).

Hello and welcome to this live, dedicated to the news of the war in Ukraine.