Russia's ceasefire proposal 'bogus and hypocritical', EU's Michel says

FILE PHOTO: European Council President Charles Michel speaks to the media as he arrives for a European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, Belgium December 15, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's call on Thursday for a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine is "hypocritical" and the only route to restore peace is for Russia to withdraw its troops from the country, European Council President Charles Michel said.

The Kremlin said Putin had ordered a ceasefire from midday on Friday after a call for a Christmas truce by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church.