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As part of his New Year's Eve speech, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that a potential peace agreement was ninety percent ready. "This peace agreement is 90% complete, ten percent remains," he noted. "And that is much more than just figures."

An Agreement Requires Strong Assurances, Not a Weak Ceasefire

Zelenskyy emphasized that his country seeks peace but not at "any price". "What does Ukraine desires? An end to hostilities? Absolutely. At any cost? No," he declared. "Our goal is a conclusion to the conflict but not the end of our country."

"Is the nation weary? Extremely. Does that imply we are ready to give up? Anyone who believes that is deeply wrong," he continued.

He voiced skepticism about Russian aims, suggesting that even if troops withdrew from the eastern Donbas, the war would not necessarily end. "Pull out from the eastern regions, and everything will end. That is how deception sounds," he remarked.

EU Leaders to Discuss Post-Conflict Guarantees

Separately, France's leader Emmanuel Macron stated that EU allies and partners meeting in Paris on 6 January will establish solid commitments towards ensuring the security of the country after a potential peace deal with Moscow is reached.

Cross-Border Strikes Continue

At the same time, reports of hostile strikes persisted. A source from Kyiv's security service reported that Ukrainian long-range drones struck a fuel storage facility in the Russian city of Rybinsk, sparking a significant fire.

In Ukraine, a Russian-launched drone attack struck residential blocks and the power grid in Odesa, wounding several people, including minors. Local authorities confirmed four apartment buildings were damaged and considerable damage was reported to a couple of power facilities.

Contested Allegations Over Drone Attack

Regarding recent allegations of a drone strike targeting a residence of Russia's president, US and European authorities agree that Ukrainian forces did not target the incident. An article indicated that US national security agencies concluded the reported attack "did not happen".

In response, Russia's ministry of defense published a video purporting to show debris of a downed Ukrainian drone. An official from Ukraine's foreign ministry dismissed the evidence as "absurd" and stated it showed a lack of seriousness in creating the narrative.

EU Official Calls Claims a "Distraction"

The EU's top diplomat described Russia's assertions "an intentional diversion". "Nobody should believe baseless claims from the invading force," she said.

Additional Updates

• DPRK Role: North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, reportedly hailed troops serving in an "foreign territory" in a New Year address. Reports suggest the country has sent thousands of troops to aid the Russian invasion in the region.
• Restrictions Extension: The US have reportedly granted a temporary exemption from sanctions to a Serbian, majority Russian-owned energy firm until 23 January. The company operates the country's only oil refinery.