🔗 Share this article

During his New Year's Eve address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a possible treaty was ninety percent ready. "This deal is 90% complete, 10% remains," he remarked. "And that is much more than simply numbers."

An Agreement Needs Strong Guarantees, Not a Fragile Ceasefire

Zelenskyy made clear that Ukraine desires an end to the war but would not accept it at "any possible price". "What is it that our nation desires? An end to hostilities? Absolutely. At any cost? Certainly not," he declared. "Our goal is a conclusion to the war but not the end of our country."

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

He expressed doubt about Moscow's aims, suggesting that should forces withdrew from the eastern region, the conflict would not cease. "Pull out from the eastern regions, and everything will end. This is how a lie sounds," he remarked.

EU Allies to Plan Post-War Guarantees

Separately, France's President Emmanuel Macron announced that EU allies and partners gathering in Paris on 6 January will make firm commitments towards protecting Ukraine after any agreement with Moscow is brokered.

Reciprocal Attacks Continue

At the same time, reports of military strikes persisted. An official from Ukraine's SBU said that Ukraine's long-range drones struck a fuel storage facility in the Russian city of Rybinsk, sparking a significant blaze.

On the other side, in Ukraine, a Russian-launched drone attack struck apartment buildings and the power grid in Odesa, wounding six people, among them children. Local authorities confirmed four buildings were affected and considerable harm was caused to two energy facilities.

Contested Claims Over Drone Incident

Concerning recent allegations of a UAV attack aimed at a property of Russian leader, American and European authorities are in agreement that Ukraine was not behind the incident. A report indicated that American security officials determined the alleged attack "never occurred".

In response, The Russian defence ministry published a video purporting to show debris of a destroyed Ukrainian drone. An official from Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs dismissed the evidence as "absurd" and suggested it showed a lack of seriousness in fabricating the story.

European Diplomat Labels Claims a "Distraction"

The EU's top diplomat called Russia's assertions "a deliberate diversion". "No one should accept unfounded claims from the aggressor," she said.

Additional Developments

• North Korean Role: The DPRK's leader, Kim Jong-un, according to state media praised troops operating in an "alien territory" in a new year's address. Reports indicate the country has sent a significant number of personnel to aid the Russian invasion in the region.
• Restrictions Reprieve: The US have according to a minister given a temporary exemption from sanctions to a Serbia-based, majority Russian-owned oil company until late January. The company manages Serbia's sole oil refinery.