Overview
- Pope Leo XIV renewed a call for “24 hours of peace” on Christmas and said he was saddened that Russia appeared to reject the truce request.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the pontiff for his efforts and said Ukraine shares his disappointment over Russia’s refusal.
- Zelensky said Russia not only dismissed the proposal but launched a massive missile and drone strike on Ukraine’s power system, causing outages, and continued assaults at the front.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously stated that Russia views the idea of a Christmas ceasefire negatively.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had suggested a small but real chance for a ceasefire, an idea Zelensky backed, yet no pause in hostilities has materialized.