Putin says he wants 36-hour ceasefire, Zelensky says Russia doesn't want real truce

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he ordered his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to implement a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine, which was quickly dismissed by Ukrainian authorities as a facade.

The so-called Russian ceasefire is set to take effect from midday on Jan. 6 to midnight on Jan. 7 "to allow Orthodox Christians to attend Christmas services," according to Russian state media agency RIA Novosti.

President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Putin's words about an Orthodox Christmas ceasefire.

"Those who continued the terror against our country and sent their people to be slaughtered definitely do not value life and even more so do not seek peace," Zelensky said.

The truce offer has been met with skepticism from both Kyiv and the West, with many viewing it as a ploy by Putin to regroup.

"Who will believe scum that kills children, bombards maternity hospitals, tortures prisoners?" Oleksii Danilov, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary, said.