The United States and Germany announced a new military aid package for Ukraine that includes missiles, armored vehicles and combat vehicles, while the truce announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin was rejected by Kyiv and the West.

Washington and Berlin announced military aid to Kiev, including American Bradley combat vehicles and German Marder armored vehicles.

In a joint statement, the two countries said that US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Schultz stressed in a phone call the need to continue providing financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine, and to respond urgently to its request regarding strengthening its air defense systems in light of the ongoing Russian attacks.

The statement revealed the two countries' intention to provide new military aid to Kiev, including combat vehicles, air defense systems, and an additional Patriot air defense battery.

In a statement to Al-Jazeera, a senior US official stated that the United States intends to deliver to Ukraine 50 Bradley armored vehicles equipped with "TAW" anti-tank missiles, and the US official suggested that the Ukrainian forces would be trained on them in Germany.

Al-Jazeera correspondent also quoted a Pentagon official as saying that the United States will deliver to Ukraine 500 anti-tank "TOW" missiles intended for Bradley armored vehicles, in addition to 250,000 rounds of 25 mm caliber for the vehicles themselves.


The new package of American aid also includes anti-mine vehicles, field artillery, artillery shells, HIMARS, anti-aircraft missiles and rockets.

For his part, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said that details of the training of Ukrainians on the Patriot missile systems are still being worked out.

For his part, US President Joe Biden said that the war in Ukraine is going through a critical stage, reiterating his country's determination to do everything in its power to help the Ukrainians.

On Wednesday, France pledged to deliver AMX-10 RC light combat tanks to Ukraine, which increased pressure on the German chancellor, who is often accused of procrastination in the matter of supporting Ukraine militarily.

Unacceptable truce

Meanwhile, Kyiv rejected the temporary truce announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of Christmas according to the Eastern Church calendar, and considered it a form of "hypocrisy", accusing Moscow of seeking to "gain time".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was seeking a truce to use a cover to stop Ukraine's advance in the eastern Donbass region and bring in more men and equipment.

"Now they want to use Christmas as a cover, albeit for a short time, to stop the advance of our boys in the Donbass and bring equipment, ammunition and troops near our positions," he added in his videotaped nightly speech, speaking in Russian rather than Ukrainian.

Zelensky rejected Putin's truce and considered it an attempt to stop the advance of the Ukrainian forces (Anadolu Agency)

For his part, Timofey Milovanov, advisor to the Ukrainian president, told Al-Jazeera that Russia must withdraw its forces and evacuate Ukrainian lands before talking about a truce.

The Pentagon said the world was deeply suspicious of Russian President Vladimir Putin's call for a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine.

"I think there is a great deal of paranoia here in the United States and around the world right now, given Russia's long record of propaganda, disinformation, and wanton attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilians," Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder told reporters.

European Council President Charles Michel said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's call for a cease-fire was "hypocritical", and that the only way to restore peace is for Russia to withdraw its forces from the country. Berlin also commented that the Russian cease-fire would not bring "neither freedom nor security."

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his army to abide by a cease-fire on all fronts of confrontation in Ukraine for a period of 36 hours, starting from 12:00 noon today, Friday, until midnight tomorrow, Saturday, and Putin called on Ukraine to declare a truce and a cease-fire to give people an opportunity Celebrating Christmas and attending prayers.