By Andriy Avramenko, for UkraineWorld

After massive missile and drone strikes on December 25 and New Year’s Eve, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral ceasefire for 36 hours on January 6–7 along the whole contact line in Ukraine. This is the first “ceasefire” proposal since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February of last year.

Vladimir Putin referred to a recent appeal by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who urged both sides of the “internecine conflict” to declare a ceasefire so that could safely celebrate Christmas (most Christians of traditional Ukrainian denominations observe this holiday on January 7, even though it is becoming popular to switch observance to December 25). In doing so, he aims to reinforce his image as an “Orthodox savior” and show his “care” for civilians. At the same time, the Russian Orthodox Church publicly supports and sanctifies the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine has rejected this proposal. Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to the President of Ukraine, called it  “a cynical trap and element of propaganda,” while Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksii Danilov recommended Russians to “take their suitcases, pick up their junk, and go to Russia,” rejecting any fleeting truce.

THIS MOVE BY VLADIMIR PUTIN WAS WIDELY REPORTED IN RUSSIAN MEDIA AND SPARKED A REACTION FROM MANY RUSSIAN PROPAGANDISTS, PUBLIC FIGURES, AND SO-CALLED WAR CORRESPONDENTS.

For example, Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic,” stated that any ceasefire is out of the question because the decision of Vladimir Putin is addressed to Orthodox people, and Pushilin doesn’t consider the government of Ukraine to be Orthodox. He also added the ceasefire will entail the cessation of actions initiating engagement with Ukrainian forces and offensive actions, but they will not let Ukraine strengthen its positions and will respond to any “provocations.”

In saying this, Pushilin publicly called into question the authority of Putin’s order, despite the fact that the so-called “DNR” now considers itself part of the Russian Federation and should therefore be obliged to implement Putin’s orders unfailingly.

Igor Strelkov, a Russian FSB officer who played a major role in the first Russian invasion of the Eastern Ukraine in spring 2014, sarcastically advised Putin to go further and join his soldiers on the frontline for Christmas celebrations, calling the order ” a bold and decisive step towards defeat and surrender in the current war, which has not yet happened over the past 10.5 months” adding that “The Hague (i.e. the International Criminal Court – editor’s note) is applauding and has begun to prepare the cell.”

War correspondent Yuriy Kotenok called the unilateral ceasefire “defeatism,” while war blogger Rybar described it as “casting pearls before swine.” Popular Russian telegram channel Voiennyi Osvedomitel wrote that “this decision is outright madness with a purely declarative character,” and  Russian military journalist Roman Saponkov described the ceasefire as “evil” and sardonically thanked the Russian Orthodox Church for the “genius idea.”

Dmitry Medvedev unleashed another obscene tirade, stressing that “the hand of Christian mercy was offered to Ukrainians on the Great Holiday.” He tried in every possible way to show that the Ukrainian authorities (which he called “pigs”) rejected this proposition upon instructions of the West (“swineherds” in his words), despite the “big-hearted” Russian attempt to implement a ceasefire.

At the same time, the Russian ideologist Aleksandr Dugin even compared Putin with the former leader of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev, emphasizing that Gorbachev “liked to proclaim and implement unilateral truces and disarmament.” Judging by his call to fight until final victory, Dugin seems to disapprove of Putin’s decision, noting that “everything and everyone will have to be sacrificed on  the altar of Victory.”

Thus, we can see that this demonstrative initiative was endorsed neither in Ukraine nor in Russia itself. Ukrainians know too well what the real intentions of Russian ”benevolence’ are. Russian pro-war opinion leaders, for their part, are so blood-thirsty that they insist on continuing fighting mercilessly even in contradiction of Putin’s decision. Despite the “ceasefire’,’ there was a massive air raid alert today for several hours across Ukraine due to the threat of Russian missile strikes.

By Andriy Avramenko, for UkraineWorld

Andriy Avramenko is Analyst and Journalist at UkraineWorld