Ukraine moves Christmas to Dec. 25, cutting Orthodox ties with Russia

Ukraine passed a law moving Christmas from Jan. 7 to Dec. 25, breaking with the Russian Orthodox tradition.
The move aims to abandon Russian influence and assert Ukraine's identity since its 2019 split from the Moscow church.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has accelerated the divide between the two nations and their churches.
The new law also changed the dates of other Ukrainian holidays including Statehood Day and Defenders Day.
Russian President Putin claims the Christmas date change is unrelated to the conflict with Ukraine.