Kremlin rejects Christmas ceasefire in Ukraine

The Kremlin has reaffirmed its rejection of a ceasefire in Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday, after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the fighting over Christmas.

"We want peace, we do not want a ceasefire," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying, arguing that a Christmas truce would simply allow Ukraine to catch its breath and prepare to continue fighting. He said Russia wanted to end the war and achieve its objectives.

Merz had appealed to Putin on Monday, after Ukrainian, European and US diplomats gathered in Berlin on Sunday for two days of talks on a peace settlement for Ukraine, aimed at ending the war launched by Russia in February 2022.

In a declaration adopted on Monday evening, European leaders called for a multinational force to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Russian representatives were not present at the Berlin talks. Moscow had not yet seen the text on security guarantees for Ukraine and would not comment on media reports about it, Peskov said.