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During his New Year's Eve message, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that a possible treaty was 90% ready. "The deal is 90 percent ready, ten percent remains," he noted. "This is far more than just figures."

An Agreement Requires Strong Guarantees, Not Fragile Truce

The president emphasized that Ukraine seeks an end to the war but would not accept it at "any price". "What is it that Ukraine desires? Peace? Yes. No matter the price? Certainly not," he said. "Our goal is an end to the war but not the destruction of our country."

"Are we exhausted? Extremely. Does that imply we are ready to capitulate? Anyone who believes that is deeply wrong," he added.

He voiced skepticism about Russian intentions, stating that even if forces pulled out from the eastern Donbas, the war would not cease. "Withdraw from the eastern regions, and it will all be over. This is how deception sounds," he commented.

EU Allies to Plan Post-War Security

Separately, France's President Emmanuel Macron stated that European allies and partners gathering in Paris on 6 January will make solid commitments towards ensuring the security of Ukraine after any peace deal with Russia is brokered.

Cross-Border Attacks Continue

Meanwhile, accounts of military strikes persisted. An official from Kyiv's SBU said that Ukraine's unmanned aerial vehicles struck a fuel storage facility in the Russian city of Rybinsk, causing a significant fire.

In southern Ukraine, a Russian aerial assault hit residential blocks and the power grid in Odesa, injuring six people, including minors. Local authorities confirmed four apartment buildings were damaged and considerable damage was reported to two energy facilities.

Disputed Allegations Over Aerial Incident

Concerning previous allegations of a UAV strike aimed at a property of Russian president, American and European authorities agree that Ukrainian forces was not behind the event. A report indicated that US national security agencies determined the reported incident "never occurred".

Reacting, Russia's ministry of defense published a video claiming to show fragments of a downed Ukrainian-made drone. A Ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs ridiculed the evidence as "absurd" and stated it showed a lack of seriousness in fabricating the narrative.

EU Official Labels Claims a "Distraction"

Kaja Kallas called Moscow's assertions "a deliberate distraction". "No one should believe baseless claims from the aggressor," she remarked.

Other Updates

• DPRK Role: The DPRK's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, according to state media praised troops serving in an "foreign land" in a new year's address. Reports suggest the country has sent thousands of personnel to support Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.
• Restrictions Reprieve: The US have reportedly given a short-term exemption from sanctions to a Serbia-based, largely Russian-controlled oil company until late January. This entity operates Serbia's only refinery.