Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to cease fighting in Ukraine for 36 hours starting Friday at noon, Moscow time, but Kyiv quickly dismissed the move as a ploy, unlikely to slow a conflict that’s heading for its second year.
The Kremlin said Putin gave the order Thursday for Russian Orthodox Christmas. It follows an appeal by the patriarch of that church, which has close ties to the Kremlin.
Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak dismissed the offer as “purely a propaganda gesture” aimed at buying time for Russia to rebuild its battered forces. Kyiv has demanded Moscow remove its troops from Ukraine as a condition for any cease-fire.
