🔗 Share this article

In a year-end address, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a potential peace agreement was ninety percent ready. "The peace agreement is 90% complete, ten percent remains," he noted. "This is much more than just numbers."

An Agreement Requires Robust Assurances, Not a Weak Truce

Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine wants an end to the war but would not accept it at "any possible cost". "What does our nation desires? An end to hostilities? Absolutely. No matter the price? No," he declared. "Our goal is an end to the war but not the destruction of Ukraine."

"Are we exhausted? Extremely. Does this mean we are prepared to give up? Any person who thinks so is deeply mistaken," Zelenskyy added.

He voiced skepticism about Moscow's intentions, suggesting that even if troops pulled out from the eastern Donbas, the conflict would not necessarily cease. "Pull out from the eastern regions, and everything will end. That is how deception sounds," he commented.

European Allies to Plan Post-Conflict Guarantees

In related news, France's President Emmanuel Macron announced that European allies and partners gathering in Paris on 6 January will make firm pledges towards ensuring the security of Ukraine following a potential peace deal with Moscow is brokered.

Cross-Border Strikes Continue

At the same time, accounts of military actions continued. An official from Kyiv's SBU said that Ukraine's unmanned aerial vehicles struck an oil depot in the Russian city of Rybinsk, causing a significant blaze.

On the other side, in Ukraine, a Russian-launched drone attack hit apartment buildings and the power grid in Odesa, wounding several people, among them minors. Officials said multiple apartment buildings were damaged and significant damage was reported to a couple of energy facilities.

Contested Claims Over Drone Incident

Concerning previous allegations of a UAV attack targeting a property of Russia's leader, US and European officials are in agreement that Ukraine was not behind the incident. An article indicated that US national security officials concluded the alleged incident "did not happen".

Reacting, The Russian defence ministry published a video claiming to show debris of a destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle. An official from Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs dismissed the evidence as "absurd" and suggested it showed a lack of credibility in creating the story.

European Official Labels Allegations a "Distraction"

The EU's top diplomat called Moscow's assertions "an intentional diversion". "No one should accept baseless allegations from the invading force," she said.

Other Updates

• DPRK Involvement: The DPRK's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, reportedly praised troops operating in an "alien territory" in a new year's message. Intelligence assessments suggest the country has sent a significant number of personnel to aid the Russian invasion in the region.
• Restrictions Extension: The US have reportedly granted a temporary reprieve from restrictions to a Serbian, largely Russian-controlled energy firm until late January. This entity manages the country's sole oil refinery.