The Kremlin has rejected the proposal made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for a Christmas truce between Ukraine and Russia. Moscow stated that it does not view a short-term pause in hostilities as an acceptable scenario.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced this in a comment to Russian media. According to him, further steps depend on whether Russia and Ukraine can reach an agreement, and he linked this logic to the position of US President Donald Trump.
Peskov also assured that Moscow's approach is "consistent, transparent, and understandable" to both the American side and Ukraine. At the same time, he flatly rejected the very idea of a Christmas pause, stating: "We want peace; we do not want a truce to give Ukraine a breather and time to prepare for the continuation of the war."
Separately, the Kremlin spokesperson added that Moscow allegedly aims to "achieve its goals and stop the war," without specifying what those "goals" are. Notably, his statement did not mention that the war began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Merz's initiative regarding a Christmas truce was an attempt to temporarily lower the intensity of fighting for the holiday period. However, Moscow's reaction showed that the Kremlin is currently unwilling to support even a limited pause without broader agreements.
