For the last three years, Russia and Ukraine have separately proposed a short truce over Christmas—but each attempt has unraveled, leading to further fighting on the holiday.
Earlier this month, the Kremlin rejected calls for a Christmas truce, even as peace talks continue. It is just the most recent case of one side rejecting even a temporary ceasefire.
“We want peace. We do not want a truce just to give Ukraine a breather and prepare for continuing the war,” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Interfax.
Although fighting hasn’t been as intense during the holiday season, the ongoing war hasn’t seen any past truces or ceasefires, and this year isn’t likely to be different.
Russia and Ukraine Don’t Celebrate Christmas on the Same Day
One factor that may play a small role in the failure of a Christmas truce is that Russia would disagree with Ukraine on the dates. Christmas is typically celebrated on December 25 in the West, but the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates it on January 7, according to the Julian calendar.
Although Ukraine is predominantly Orthodox as well, it changed its official Christmas date from January 7 to December 25 after the Russian invasion in an effort to distance itself from Russian cultural and religious influence.
Ukraine had already begun to align with Western Christian traditions, which were then enacted into law by President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2023. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine had previously moved to the Revised Julian calendar, which made December 25 the common date for Christmas celebrations before the official state change.
Given the fact that the two sides now celebrate Christmas two weeks apart, it would likely be impossible for them to find common ground for any holiday truce.
Russia and Ukraine Have Fought Through Christmas for Three Years
This year will also mark the fourth Christmas during wartime for the people of Ukraine—and Russia has used the occasion in past years to carry out large-scale aerial attacks on December 24 and 25.
On December 25, 2022, the first following the Kremlin’s unprovoked invasion in February of that year, Russia launched a major missile and drone attack that targeted energy infrastructure. It caused widespread blackouts as well as civilian casualties.
Weeks later, on January 5, 2023, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, called on both sides to accept a 36-hour temporary ceasefire ahead of Orthodox Christmas. That proposal was rejected by Ukrainian officials, who described it as a “cynical trap,” and fighting continued.
In December 2023, Russia again launched a major missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy grid. The tactics were repeated in 2024, a move Zelensky condemned as inhumane.
“Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?” Zelensky wrote in a post on X on December 25, 2024. “Every Russian massive strike takes time to prepare. It is never a spontaneous decision. It is a conscious choice not only of targets, but also of time and date.”
No Christmas Truce Is Expected in 2025, Either
History is likely to repeat itself, and already, Russia has carried out cruise missile and drone strikes on Tuesday on Kyiv and other urban centers. More than 650 drones and more than 30 missiles were fired at targets in Ukraine.
“This Russian strike sends a clear signal about Russian priorities. A strike before Christmas, when people want to be with their families, at home, safe. A strike in the midst of negotiations to end this war. Putin can’t accept that the killing has to stop. And that means the world isn’t putting enough pressure on Russia,” Zelensky said in his morning statement on Tuesday, which was posted on the Telegram social messaging app.
Instead of Santa Claus delivering gifts on Christmas, Ukrainians may expect Russia to send missiles and drones. Then, before the Russian Orthodox Christmas, Moscow will likely call for a truce, one that Kyiv will in turn be unwilling to honor.
There will be no “peace on Earth” in Ukraine this holiday season.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / seeasign.
