Putin Orders Weekend Truce; Kyiv Won’t Take Part

January 6, 2023 4:17 am

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his armed forces to observe a 36-hour unilateral cease-fire in Ukraine this weekend for the Orthodox Christmas holiday. Kyiv indicates it won’t follow suit. Putin does not appear to make his cease-fire order conditional on a Ukrainian acceptance. It isn’t clear whether hostilities would actually halt. Ukrainian officials have previously dismissed Russian peace moves as playing for time to regroup their forces. At various points in the war that started Feb. 24, Putin has ordered limited and local truces to allow evacuations of civilians or other humanitarian purposes. Thursday’s order was the first time Putin directed his troops to cease fire throughout Ukraine.