Russia rejects Christmas truce as U.S. ramps up peace push
Russia rejected a Christmas truce because it could give Ukraine a temporary respite, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Dec. 16.
Peskov's comment comes after numerous temporary truces on religious holidays, including those initiated by Moscow, were previously broken by Russian troops.
Peskov claimed that Russia wants peace and that the truce would give Ukraine time to recover from heavy fighting, and blamed Kyiv for continuing what he described as a war it launched against another sovereign country.
In April, an Easter truce declared by President Vladimir Putin was violated nearly 3,000 times by Russian forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky said hours before it ended on its third day.
The Russian rejection of the Christmas truce comes as the U.S. steps up its peace talks efforts to end the war, with Zelensky saying that Kyiv is focused on ensuring the quality of any agreement. Fierce fighting continues across multiple sectors of the front as Russia ramps up its offensive operations.
