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During his New Year's Eve address, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that a possible peace agreement was 90% ready. "The deal is 90 percent complete, 10% is left," he noted. "This is much more than just figures."

An Agreement Needs Strong Guarantees, Not a Fragile Truce

The president stressed that Ukraine seeks an end to the war but would not accept it at "any possible price". "What does our nation want? Peace? Absolutely. At any cost? Certainly not," he declared. "Our goal is an end to the conflict but not the destruction of Ukraine."

"Is the nation weary? Extremely. Does this mean we are prepared to give up? Anyone who thinks so is deeply wrong," he continued.

He expressed skepticism about Russian intentions, stating that even if troops withdrew from the eastern Donbas, the conflict would not necessarily cease. "Withdraw from the Donbas, and it will all be over. This is how deception translates," he remarked.

EU Allies to Discuss Post-Conflict Guarantees

In related news, France's President Emmanuel Macron stated that EU leaders and allies gathering in Paris on 6 January will make firm pledges towards protecting the country following a potential peace deal with Russia is brokered.

Reciprocal Strikes Reported

Meanwhile, accounts of military strikes continued. An official from Ukraine's security service reported that Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles hit a fuel storage facility in the Russian city of Rybinsk, sparking a large fire.

In Ukraine, a Russian drone attack hit residential blocks and the power grid in Odesa, injuring six people, among them minors. Officials said multiple buildings were damaged and significant harm was reported to a couple of power facilities.

Contested Claims Over Aerial Attack

Regarding recent allegations of a drone attack targeting a property of Russian leader, US and European authorities are in agreement that Ukrainian forces did not target the event. A report stated that US security officials determined the reported attack "never occurred".

In response, Russia's defence ministry published a footage claiming to show debris of a destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle. An official from Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs ridiculed the footage as "absurd" and stated it demonstrated a lack of seriousness in creating the story.

European Diplomat Labels Allegations a "Diversion"

The EU's top diplomat called Moscow's assertions "a deliberate diversion". "No one should accept unfounded claims from the invading force," she said.

Additional Updates

• North Korean Role: North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, according to state media praised troops operating in an "alien land" in a New Year message. Intelligence assessments suggest the country has sent a significant number of troops to support the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
• Sanctions Reprieve: United States authorities have reportedly granted a temporary exemption from sanctions to a Serbian, largely Russian-controlled oil company until late January. This entity manages the country's only oil refinery.