Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech Thursday night that Russia wanted to use Orthodox Christmas “as a cover” to resupply and deter Ukraine’s advance in the East Donbass region.
In his first comments since the Kremlin announced a 36-hour temporary ceasefire over Orthodox Christmas on Friday and Saturday, Zelensky said in Russian:
“Now they are using Christmas as a cover to halt at least temporarily the advance of our troops in Donbass and bring equipment, ammunition and mobilized troops closer to our positions. What will this achieve? Will there be more casualties?”
“Everyone in the world knows how the Kremlin can take advantage of the war break to continue the war with renewed vigor. ‘ said Zelensky.
“For at least 36 hours of Christmas, the Russian people need to find the courage to free themselves from the shameful fear of having a man in the Kremlin,” he pleaded. It’s destroying the country. It’s already deep inside…but not a bunker.”
Zelensky added that the war in Ukraine “either ends with your soldiers leaving or we kick them out.”
