Russia Says No Discussion of Christmas, New Year Truce in Ukraine

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday it had not received any proposals from Kyiv to halt fighting in Ukraine during the coming holiday period and a ceasefire was not on Russia’s agenda.

“No, no proposals have been received from anyone and no topic of this kind is on the agenda,” Peskov told reporters in response to a question on whether Russia would pause hostilities for the holidays.

Christmas in Russia is celebrated on 7 January and public holidays usually extend from New Year’s Day until after Christmas.

Addressing G7 nations on Monday, Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russia to prove it is capable of renouncing “aggression” and to begin withdrawing troops this Christmas.

In response to that call, Peskov highlighted that any decision to incorporate those areas would depend on “the will of residents” there.

“The primary task is to protect people in the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic. Our military is concentrating on this,” he noted, referring to two regions that Russia claimed to have annexed in September.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy urged Europe to help set up a tribunal to try Russia’s leadership for the “crime of aggression”, as he accepted the EU’s top rights award on Wednesday.

“I call on all of you, your parties, and states to effectively support this work. The tribunal must start working,” Zelenskyy told the European Parliament in a speech via video link.