Ominous tweets for a cease-fire that Presidents Poroshenko and Putin say is holding:
The patriarch of Kyiv and All-Rus, Filaret, has published what appears to be a thinly veiled attack on Vladimir Putin titled "New Cain," a reference to "the first fratricide in history." He also describes the leader as "the new pharaoh." Here is an excerpt:
He says outright and blatant lies: organizing and sending killers mercenaries to our country, speaks of "internal conflict", to which he allegedly is not involved; sending to Ukraine his troops, he publicly states that these forces are not present there. At the time when in Ukraine the perished soldiers, defenders of the Fatherland are buried as heroes, the soldiers of his country, who died in the Donbas, are buried secretly, carefully concealing the truth about the circumstances of their death.
This ruler is cynically lying, saying that his country is not a party to the conflict in Ukraine - although he did everything in order to foment the conflict and maintain it....
Also I call on the faithful in Ukraine to pray for a fair trial and a worthy nemesis from God to this ruler. Do not be afraid of his power - because in comparison with the power of God, it is nothing, and though his heart became cruel, as the heart of the ancient Pharaoh, but the end of his strength is close.
The patriarch exhorts the "New Cain" at one point: "Stop, cease the multiplication of lies and murder, come to your senses!"
Ukrainian President Poroshenko's office also says he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed that the cease-fire was so far being respected (via Reuters and Interfax).
Actually, based on this Reuters correction, it's the interpretation of Poroshenko's office. Same caveat applies, though:
CORRECTED-PUTIN, UKRAINE'S POROSHENKO SPOKE BY PHONE, AGREED STEPS NEEDED TO ENSURE UKRAINE CEASEFIRE BECOMES DURABLE - POROSHENKO'S OFFICE (CORRECTS SOURCE)
This is the Kremlin's interpretation of their conversation, mind you, via Reuters:
PUTIN, UKRAINE'S POROSHENKO SPOKE BY PHONE, AGREED STEPS NEEDED TO ENSURE UKRAINE CEASEFIRE BECOMES DURABLE - KREMLIN
Today's situation map from the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council:
