Ukraine says ceasefire with Russia possible only after troops withdrawal

KYIV - Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Thursday that Kyiv will agree on a ceasefire with Russia only after Russian troops are withdrawn from Ukraine.

The Russian Federation must leave and only then will it have a "temporary truce," Podolyak said in his twitter account.

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a temporary ceasefire along the frontline of fighting, the Kremlin press service said in a statement.

According to the statement, the truce will last for 36 hours starting at noon local time (0900 GMT) on Jan 6, when Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas.

Putin also called on Kyiv to declare a ceasefire based on the fact that a large number of Orthodox citizens live in the combat areas, according to the statement.