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In a New Year's Eve message, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a possible peace agreement was ninety percent prepared. "The peace agreement is 90% complete, ten percent is left," he remarked. "This is much more than just numbers."

A Deal Needs Robust Guarantees, Not Fragile Ceasefire

The president stressed that his country wants an end to the war but would not accept it at "any price". "What is it that our nation want? Peace? Yes. At any cost? Certainly not," he said. "We want a conclusion to the war but not the destruction of Ukraine."

"Is the nation exhausted? Very. Does that imply we are prepared to surrender? Any person who believes that is profoundly wrong," Zelenskyy continued.

He voiced doubt about Moscow's aims, suggesting that should troops withdrew from the eastern region, the war would not necessarily end. "Withdraw from the eastern regions, and everything will end. That is how deception translates," he remarked.

European Leaders to Plan Post-Conflict Guarantees

Separately, France's President Emmanuel Macron stated that European allies and partners gathering in Paris on 6 January will make firm pledges towards ensuring the security of the country after any agreement with Moscow is reached.

Reciprocal Strikes Reported

Meanwhile, accounts of hostile strikes persisted. An official from Kyiv's SBU reported that Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles struck a fuel storage facility in the Russian city of Rybinsk, sparking a large blaze.

In Ukraine, a Russian drone attack struck apartment buildings and energy infrastructure in Odesa, injuring six people, including minors. Officials confirmed four apartment buildings were affected and significant damage was reported to two power facilities.

Contested Allegations Over Aerial Attack

Regarding recent claims of a UAV attack targeting a property of Russia's leader, US and European authorities agree that Ukrainian forces was not behind the event. An article stated that US security agencies concluded the reported attack "did not happen".

Reacting, Russia's ministry of defense published a video purporting to show debris of a destroyed Ukrainian-made drone. An official from Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs ridiculed the footage as "absurd" and suggested it showed a lack of seriousness in creating the narrative.

European Official Labels Claims a "Distraction"

Kaja Kallas described Moscow's assertions "an intentional diversion". "No one should believe unfounded allegations from the aggressor," she remarked.

Other Developments

• North Korean Role: The DPRK's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, according to state media praised troops serving in an "foreign territory" in a New Year message. Intelligence assessments indicate North Korea has sent thousands of personnel to support Russia's invasion in Ukraine.
• Sanctions Reprieve: United States authorities have according to a minister given a short-term exemption from restrictions to a Serbian, largely Russian-controlled oil company until 23 January. The company operates Serbia's only oil refinery.