U.S. President Joe Biden said Vladimir Putin seeks to find breathing room and possibly regroup by offering Ukraine a ceasefire.
"He was ready to bomb hospitals and nurseries, and churches on the 25th (of December) and New Year's. I mean, I think he is trying to find some oxygen," Biden told reporters.
Earlier, Putin said he ordered Russian troops to maintain a 36-hour unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine starting at noon on Jan. 6 in the wake of Orthodox Christmas. If maintained, it would be the first time Moscow offered a truce since the start of Russia's full-scale war.
On New Year's Eve, Russia attacked Ukraine with missiles, followed by an attack with 45 drones minutes after New Year's, killing one and injuring 28 civilians around the country, including three children.
