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<p><strong><em>Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.</em></strong></p>

<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a ceasefire in Ukraine on January 6 to 7, the news agency AFP reported citing Kremlin, but Ukraine has called the declaration a "hypocrisy". The report mentioned that the decision comes on the eve of Orthodox Christmas following a request from Russia's spiritual leader Patriarch Kirill.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, Russia's Orthodox Church observes Christmas on January 7. But owing to the ongoing&nbsp;war, many Ukrainians this year celebrated Christmas on December 25—similar to the West—and Ukraine's main Orthodox Church rejected the authority of the Moscow patriarch.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Kremlin said in a statement: "Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I (Putin) instruct the defence minister of the Russian Federation to introduce from 12:00 (0900 GMT) on January 6, 2023 until 24:00 (2100 GMT) on January 7, 2023 a ceasefire along the entire line of contact between the sides in Ukraine."&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the order, Putin said that "proceeding from the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the areas of hostilities, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and allow them to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas Day."&nbsp;</p>

<p>While responding to the temporary ceasefire, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that Russia "must leave the occupied territories -- only then will it have a 'temporary truce'. On his official Twitter account, Podolyak said to keep "hypocrisy to yourself."&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">First. Ukraine doesn't attack foreign territory &amp; doesn't kill civilians. As RF does. Ukraine destroys only members of the occupation army on its territory...<br />
Second. RF must leave the occupied territories - only then will it have a "temporary truce". Keep hypocrisy to yourself.</p>
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) <a href="https://twitter.com/Podolyak_M/status/1611028379771482118?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier in the day, Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan in separate phone calls. As the world expects the war to end, both leaders made it clear that there would be no peace talks between them any time soon.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a ceasefire in Ukraine on January 6 to 7, the news agency AFP reported citing Kremlin, but Ukraine has called the declaration a "hypocrisy". The report mentioned that the decision comes on the eve of Orthodox Christmas following a request from Russia's spiritual leader Patriarch Kirill. Notably, Russia's Orthodox Church observes Christmas on January 7. But owing to the ongoing war, many Ukrainians this year celebrated Christmas on December 25—similar to the West—and Ukraine's main Orthodox Church rejected the authority of the Moscow patriarch. The Kremlin said in a statement: "Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I (Putin) instruct the defence minister of the Russian Federation to introduce from 12:00 (0900 GMT) on January 6, 2023 until 24:00 (2100 GMT) on January 7, 2023 a ceasefire along the entire line of contact between the sides in Ukraine." In the order, Putin said that "proceeding from the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the areas of hostilities, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and allow them to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas Day." While responding to the temporary ceasefire, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that Russia "must leave the occupied territories -- only then will it have a 'temporary truce'. On his official Twitter account, Podolyak said to keep "hypocrisy to yourself." First. Ukraine doesn't attack foreign territory & doesn't kill civilians. As RF does. Ukraine destroys only members of the occupation army on its territory... Second. RF must leave the occupied territories - only then will it have a "temporary truce". Keep hypocrisy to yourself. — Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) January 5, 2023 × WATCH | Why is Russia sending more Arctic oil to India & China? × Earlier in the day, Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan in separate phone calls. As the world expects the war to end, both leaders made it clear that there would be no peace talks between them any time soon. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Russia-Ukraine war: Putin offers Orthodox Christmas truce, Ukraine rejects it as 'hypocrisy'

<p>French&nbsp;trade&nbsp;unions&nbsp;failed on Tuesday to achieve the big surge in support they had hoped for in street&nbsp;protests&nbsp;to pressure President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-emmanuel-macron-to-hold-meeting-on-pensions-as-strike-bites-266909">Emmanuel Macron</a> to ditch his pension reform, and said there would be no strike&nbsp;truce&nbsp;during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-can-celebrate-later-hong-kongers-pen-christmas-cards-to-protesters-268663">Christmas</a>.</p>

<p>France's transport networks were crippled and schools shut on a thirteenth day of strikes, but there was not the pick-up in faltering momentum that union chiefs had hoped for in nationwide&nbsp;protests, even as private-sector workers joined in.</p>

<p>In Paris, police fired tear gas and charged to disperse demonstrators from the Place de la Nation, though there was none of the rioting and looting that marked the "yellow vest"&nbsp;protests&nbsp;against high living costs late last year.</p>

<p>The hard-left&nbsp;unions&nbsp;spearheading the industrial action said in a joint statement that Tuesday's marches across France reflected a "massive rejection" of Macron's planned pension system overhaul and called for the reform to be abandoned.</p>

<p>"If it is not pulled, there will be no&nbsp;truce," the&nbsp;unions&nbsp;said.</p>

<p>France's largest union, the reform-minded CFDT which is influential in the private sector, joined the&nbsp;protests&nbsp;for the first time on Tuesday although it did not sign the statement.</p>

<p>About 615,000 people nationwide answered the union leaders' call to march on Tuesday, the interior ministry said, a significant decline since the first big day of action on Dec. 5 which had brought 806,000 onto the street, though numbers were higher in Paris.</p>

<p>The hardline CGT union said it had counted 1.8 million protesters nationwide, more than it had reported on December&nbsp;5. Union and government tallies at&nbsp;French&nbsp;demonstrations usually show major discrepancies.</p>

<p>French&nbsp;unions&nbsp;oppose Macron's plans to streamline the Byzantine state pension system and prod people to work until 64, instead of the legal retirement age of 62.</p>

<p>In the capital, some protesters dressed in black and hiding their faces with scarves and masks, overturned bins, smashed bus stops and hurled glass bottles at police lines. Police said the clashes involved "black block" anarchists, a small minority of the otherwise peaceful protesters.</p>

<p>Police also charged protesters in Paris who ignored an order to disperse at the end of the route and threw at least one Molotov cocktail at police.</p>

<p>"We want social justice," said Veronique Ragot, 55, a striking sub-editor at a publishing house. "We've seen our social benefits melt in the sun, and this is the last straw."</p>

<p>The strike forced most long-distance trains, commuter trains and Paris metro lines to shut. Even the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/sun-and-wind-powers-mini-eiffel-tower-at-belgian-music-festival-243602">Eiffel Tower</a> was closed. Many state schools were shut or had reduced lessons. The CGT said it was responsible for power outages and cuts to gas supply that hit thousands of homes as well as businesses.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;unions&nbsp;and Macron are each hoping to push the other to back down before&nbsp;Christmas, with the prospect that strikes over the holiday would alienate an increasingly frustrated public.</p>

<p>"Democratic and union opposition to our project is perfectly legitimate. But we have stated clearly what our project was, and my government is totally determined to reform the&nbsp;pensions&nbsp;system and to balance the pension system's budget," Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-macron-reappoints-edouard-philippe-as-pm-after-sundays-vote-17027">Edouard Philippe</a> told parliament.</p>

<p>Opponents were buoyed by the departure of government pension reform tsar Jean-Paul Delevoye, who quit on Monday over his failure to declare other jobs.</p>

<p>French&nbsp;workers receive among the world's most generous state&nbsp;pensions&nbsp;through a system divided into dozens of separate schemes. Macron's government says privileges for various categories of workers make it unfair, and wants a "points" system to treat contributions from all workers equally.&nbsp;Unions&nbsp;say this amounts to an attack on hard-earned benefits.</p>

<p>"When all the&nbsp;unions&nbsp;say 'We do not want this reform', the government should have a rethink," said Philippe Martinez, head of France's CGT union, leading a column of demonstrators in Paris's Republic Square. "They need to open their eyes and unblock their ears."</p>


French trade unions failed on Tuesday to achieve the big surge in support they had hoped for in street protests to pressure President Emmanuel Macron to ditch his pension reform, and said there would be no strike truce during Christmas.

French trade unions failed on Tuesday to achieve the big surge in support they had hoped for in street protests to pressure President Emmanuel Macron to ditch his pension reform, and said there would be no strike truce during Christmas. France's transport networks were crippled and schools shut on a thirteenth day of strikes, but there was not the pick-up in faltering momentum that union chiefs had hoped for in nationwide protests, even as private-sector workers joined in. In Paris, police fired tear gas and charged to disperse demonstrators from the Place de la Nation, though there was none of the rioting and looting that marked the "yellow vest" protests against high living costs late last year. The hard-left unions spearheading the industrial action said in a joint statement that Tuesday's marches across France reflected a "massive rejection" of Macron's planned pension system overhaul and called for the reform to be abandoned. "If it is not pulled, there will be no truce," the unions said. France's largest union, the reform-minded CFDT which is influential in the private sector, joined the protests for the first time on Tuesday although it did not sign the statement. About 615,000 people nationwide answered the union leaders' call to march on Tuesday, the interior ministry said, a significant decline since the first big day of action on Dec. 5 which had brought 806,000 onto the street, though numbers were higher in Paris. The hardline CGT union said it had counted 1.8 million protesters nationwide, more than it had reported on December 5. Union and government tallies at French demonstrations usually show major discrepancies. French unions oppose Macron's plans to streamline the Byzantine state pension system and prod people to work until 64, instead of the legal retirement age of 62. In the capital, some protesters dressed in black and hiding their faces with scarves and masks, overturned bins, smashed bus stops and hurled glass bottles at police lines. Police said the clashes involved "black block" anarchists, a small minority of the otherwise peaceful protesters. Police also charged protesters in Paris who ignored an order to disperse at the end of the route and threw at least one Molotov cocktail at police. "We want social justice," said Veronique Ragot, 55, a striking sub-editor at a publishing house. "We've seen our social benefits melt in the sun, and this is the last straw." The strike forced most long-distance trains, commuter trains and Paris metro lines to shut. Even the Eiffel Tower was closed. Many state schools were shut or had reduced lessons. The CGT said it was responsible for power outages and cuts to gas supply that hit thousands of homes as well as businesses. The unions and Macron are each hoping to push the other to back down before Christmas, with the prospect that strikes over the holiday would alienate an increasingly frustrated public. "Democratic and union opposition to our project is perfectly legitimate. But we have stated clearly what our project was, and my government is totally determined to reform the pensions system and to balance the pension system's budget," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told parliament. Opponents were buoyed by the departure of government pension reform tsar Jean-Paul Delevoye, who quit on Monday over his failure to declare other jobs. French workers receive among the world's most generous state pensions through a system divided into dozens of separate schemes. Macron's government says privileges for various categories of workers make it unfair, and wants a "points" system to treat contributions from all workers equally. Unions say this amounts to an attack on hard-earned benefits. "When all the unions say 'We do not want this reform', the government should have a rethink," said Philippe Martinez, head of France's CGT union, leading a column of demonstrators in Paris's Republic Square. "They need to open their eyes and unblock their ears."

French unions refuse Christmas truce in pensions protests

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Russia-Ukraine war: Putin offers Orthodox Christmas truce, Ukraine rejects it as 'hypocrisy'

French unions refuse Christmas truce in pensions protests