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During his New Year's Eve address, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a possible peace deal was ninety percent prepared. "The deal is 90% ready, ten percent is left," he remarked. "And that is far more than simply figures."

An Agreement Needs Robust Guarantees, Not a Fragile Ceasefire

The president stressed that his country wants peace but not at "any price". "What is it that Ukraine want? Peace? Yes. No matter the price? Certainly not," he said. "Our goal is an end to the war but not the end of Ukraine."

"Are we exhausted? Very. Does this mean we are prepared to surrender? Any person who believes that is profoundly mistaken," he continued.

He voiced doubt about Russian intentions, suggesting that should troops withdrew from the Donbas Donbas, the conflict would not end. "Withdraw from the eastern regions, and everything will end. That is how deception translates," he remarked.

European Allies to Plan Post-Conflict Security

Separately, French leader Emmanuel Macron announced that European leaders and allies meeting in Paris in early January will make solid pledges towards protecting Ukraine after a potential agreement with Moscow is reached.

Reciprocal Attacks Reported

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

In Ukraine, a Russian drone attack struck apartment buildings and the power grid in Odesa, injuring several people, including children. Local authorities confirmed multiple buildings were affected and considerable harm was reported to a couple of power facilities.

Disputed Claims Over Aerial Attack

Concerning recent allegations of a UAV attack targeting a residence of Russia's leader, American and European officials agree that Ukraine did not target the event. An article stated that American security agencies determined the alleged attack "did not happen".

In response, Russia's ministry of defense published a footage purporting to show debris of a destroyed Ukrainian-made unmanned aerial vehicle. A Ukrainian foreign ministry dismissed the footage as "laughable" and stated it demonstrated a lack of seriousness in fabricating the narrative.

EU Diplomat Labels Claims a "Diversion"

The EU's top diplomat called Russia's claims "a deliberate distraction". "Nobody should believe baseless claims from the invading force," she said.

Additional Developments

• North Korean Role: North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, according to state media praised troops serving in an "alien land" in a New Year address. Intelligence assessments indicate the country has sent a significant number of personnel to support the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
• Restrictions Reprieve: The US have according to a minister given a short-term reprieve from sanctions to a Serbian, largely Russian-controlled oil company until late January. The company manages the country's only oil refinery.