Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill, a close supporter of President Vladimir Putin, on Thursday called on Moscow and kyiv to establish a ceasefire in Ukraine on the occasion of the Orthodox Christmas holiday, celebrated on Saturday.

“I, Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, appeal to all parties involved in the fratricidal conflict to call on them to establish a ceasefire and seal a Christmas truce from 12 p.m. January at 12:00 a.m. on January 7,” he said in a message posted on the Church’s website.

According to him, this truce must serve so that “the Orthodox can attend the services of Christmas Eve and Day” in Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine are both countries whose population is predominantly Orthodox, but kyiv has moved away from the religious tutelage of Moscow in recent years, notably by founding an independent Church.

Patriarch Kirill has delivered sermons since the beginning of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in which he gave his blessing to the Russian troops while castigating the Ukrainian authorities.

Ukraine, for its part, carried out a series of searches in churches and monasteries dependent on the Moscow Patriarchate with a view to “counter-intelligence” measures.

Although the Ukrainian Church dependent on the Moscow Patriarchate severed ties with Russia in May, several of its dignitaries have been sanctioned by kyiv for their positions deemed pro-Russian.