🔗 Share this article

In a New Year's Eve message, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that a potential peace agreement was ninety percent complete. "This deal is 90 percent ready, ten percent remains," he said. "And that is far more than just numbers."

A Deal Needs Strong Guarantees, Not a Weak Ceasefire

Zelenskyy made clear that his country seeks peace but not at "any price". "What does Ukraine want? An end to hostilities? Absolutely. At any cost? Certainly not," he declared. "We want an end to the conflict but not the destruction of Ukraine."

"Is the nation exhausted? Extremely. Does that imply we are prepared to capitulate? Any person who thinks so is deeply mistaken," Zelenskyy continued.

He expressed doubt about Russian intentions, stating that even if forces pulled out from the Donbas region, the conflict would not end. "Pull out from the eastern regions, and it will all be over. This is how a lie translates," he remarked.

European Allies to Plan Post-Conflict Guarantees

In related news, French leader Emmanuel Macron stated that EU leaders and allies gathering in Paris on 6 January will establish solid pledges towards protecting Ukraine following a potential agreement with Moscow is brokered.

Cross-Border Attacks Reported

At the same time, accounts of hostile actions persisted. An official from Kyiv's security service said that Ukraine's unmanned aerial vehicles struck a fuel storage facility in the Russian city of Rybinsk, sparking a large fire.

In southern Ukraine, a Russian aerial assault struck apartment buildings and the power grid in Odesa, wounding several people, including children. Officials said multiple buildings were affected and significant harm was reported to a couple of power facilities.

Disputed Claims Over Drone Incident

Regarding previous allegations of a UAV strike targeting a property of Russia's leader, American and European authorities agree that Ukraine did not target the event. An article stated that US security agencies determined the reported attack "did not happen".

Reacting, The Russian ministry of defense released a video claiming to show fragments of a downed Ukrainian-made drone. A Ukrainian foreign ministry dismissed the evidence as "absurd" and suggested it demonstrated a lack of seriousness in creating the narrative.

EU Official Labels Allegations a "Diversion"

The EU's top diplomat called Russia's assertions "a deliberate distraction". "No one should accept baseless claims from the invading force," she remarked.

Other Updates

• North Korean Role: North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, reportedly praised troops serving in an "foreign land" in a New Year address. Reports suggest North Korea has sent thousands of personnel to aid Russia's invasion in Ukraine.
• Sanctions Extension: United States authorities have reportedly given a short-term exemption from restrictions to a Serbia-based, largely Russian-controlled energy firm until 23 January. The company operates Serbia's sole refinery.