A high-ranking official in Russia’s State Duma, Deputy Alexander Boroday, commented that following a major Ukrainian assault on Belgorod, any talk of a holiday ceasefire would be inappropriate. This perspective was reported by News.ru.
Boroday argued that a ceasefire with Ukraine cannot be reconciled with Russia’s stated objective of countering what he described as a “gang of terrorists.”
He added that the Russian side is not in a confrontation with a brotherly people, but with hostile actions he attributes to Kyiv and its Western backers.
According to the parliamentarian, Ukraine’s alignment with Western interests undermines its capacity to make independent strategic decisions in the conflict.
Earlier, Alexei Chepa, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Relations, suggested that the possibility of a New Year’s pause in hostilities between Russia and Ukraine could exist, though he questioned Kyiv’s willingness to engage in sincere negotiations.
Prior to that, Michael Kretschmer, the Prime Minister of the German state of Saxony, stated that if a ceasefire were to emerge, Ukrainian authorities might still face the loss of certain territories and that reaching a lasting solution to the Ukraine crisis would require time and careful consideration.
In a separate remark, Zelensky had indicated that Ukraine’s decisions are constrained by concerns about allowing hostilities to spill over into Russian territory.