President Zelenskyy States Ukraine Is Ten Percent Off from Peace, Yet Not at Any Cost

As part of his New Year's Eve address, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a possible treaty was 90% complete. "The peace agreement is 90 percent complete, ten percent is left," he noted. "And that is far more than just figures."

A Deal Needs Strong Guarantees, Not Fragile Ceasefire

The president made clear that his country desires an end to the war but would not accept it at "any price". "What does our nation want? An end to hostilities? Yes. No matter the price? Certainly not," he declared. "Our goal is a conclusion to the war but not the end of our country."

"Are we weary? Extremely. Does this mean we are ready to capitulate? Anyone who thinks so is profoundly mistaken," Zelenskyy added.

He voiced skepticism about Moscow's intentions, stating that should forces pulled out from the eastern region, the war would not end. "Withdraw from the Donbas, and everything will end. That is how a lie sounds," he commented.

EU Allies to Discuss Post-Conflict Guarantees

In related news, French leader Emmanuel Macron announced that European leaders and allies gathering in Paris in early January will establish solid pledges towards ensuring the security of the country following any agreement with Moscow is brokered.

Cross-Border Attacks Continue

At the same time, accounts of military strikes persisted. A source from Ukraine's SBU reported that Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles struck a fuel storage facility in the Russian city of Rybinsk, sparking a large fire.

On the other side, in southern Ukraine, a Russian aerial assault struck apartment buildings and energy infrastructure in Odesa, injuring six people, among them children. Officials confirmed multiple buildings were damaged and considerable harm was reported to a couple of energy facilities.

Contested Claims Over Drone Incident

Regarding recent claims of a UAV strike aimed at a residence of Russian president, American and European authorities agree that Ukrainian forces did not target the event. A report stated that American security agencies concluded the reported incident "did not happen".

In response, The Russian defence ministry published a footage claiming to show debris of a downed Ukrainian-made drone. An official from Ukraine's foreign ministry dismissed the footage as "laughable" and stated it showed a lack of seriousness in fabricating the story.

EU Diplomat Labels Claims a "Distraction"

Kaja Kallas called Moscow's claims "a deliberate distraction". "Nobody should accept baseless claims from the invading force," she remarked.

Additional Updates

• DPRK Role: North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, according to state media hailed troops operating in an "foreign territory" in a New Year message. Intelligence assessments indicate North Korea has sent a significant number of troops to aid Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.
• Sanctions Reprieve: United States authorities have according to a minister granted a short-term exemption from sanctions to a Serbia-based, largely Russian-controlled oil company until late January. This entity manages Serbia's sole refinery.