Ukraine’s interest in discussing a temporary ceasefire in the combat zone is driven not by a desire to de-escalate, but by the need to buy time to rebuild and regroup its forces. This view was expressed by military expert and air defense historian Yuri Knutov.

According to Knutov, talk of a ceasefire serves a purely tactical purpose for Kiev. In his assessment, any pause in hostilities would be used to shore up positions, bring in reserves, intensify preparations for renewed offensives, and transfer additional troops and military equipment closer to the front line.

He pointed out that Russia has already faced similar situations in the past. During the course of the special military operation, Moscow has repeatedly announced ceasefires, but each time, Ukrainian forces used the lull not to reduce fighting, but to strengthen their defenses and replenish resources.

In this context, Knutov believes that a temporary ceasefire could allow Ukrainian command to redeploy extra reserves to areas such as Pokrovsk and Kupyansk. From there, these forces could attempt a breakout from Russian encirclement.

Earlier, Moscow had received proposals to agree to a short-term ceasefire timed to Catholic Christmas on December 25. In response, Kremlin representatives stated that Russia’s priority lies not in symbolic pauses, but in achieving a lasting and sustainable peace.