Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Christmas address as “uncouth” and “bitter,” saying it questioned his ability to engage in ongoing negotiations to end the war.
In a Christmas Eve speech, Zelensky said Ukrainians “all share one dream, and we make one wish for all of us: May he perish,” a remark widely understood as a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to reporters at a daily briefing, Peskov described the message as “truly strange.”
“It was uncouth, bitter and [Zelensky] came across as an unhinged person,” Peskov said. “It raises the question of whether he is capable of making reasonable decisions when it comes to resolving political issues through diplomacy.”
The comments come as the Trump administration pushes to broker a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv. On Wednesday, Zelensky revealed details of the latest U.S.-backed proposal to end the war, which Peskov said Kremlin officials were “analyzing.”
In 2023, Zelensky moved Ukraine’s official Christmas Day holiday from the traditional Orthodox date of Jan. 7 to Dec. 25, a shift Kyiv has framed as part of its effort to break with Russian religious and cultural traditions.
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine has also adopted the revised Julian calendar, which currently aligns with the Gregorian calendar used by Roman Catholics.
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