🔗 Share this article Leader Zelenskyy States The Nation Was 10% Off from Peace, Yet Not at Any Price During his New Year's Eve message, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that a potential peace agreement was ninety percent ready. "The peace agreement is 90% ready, 10% remains," he noted. "And that is much more than just figures." A Deal Needs Strong Guarantees, Not a Fragile Ceasefire The president made clear that his country seeks an end to the war but would not accept it at "any possible price". "What is it that our nation want? An end to hostilities? Absolutely. At any cost? Certainly not," he declared. "We want a conclusion to the conflict but not the end of Ukraine." "Is the nation exhausted? Extremely. Does this mean we are prepared to give up? Any person who believes that is deeply mistaken," Zelenskyy continued. He expressed skepticism about Moscow's intentions, stating that even if troops pulled out from the Donbas region, the conflict would not cease. "Withdraw from the eastern regions, and it will all be over. That is how deception translates," he commented. European Allies to Plan Post-Conflict Guarantees Separately, France's leader Emmanuel Macron stated that European leaders and allies meeting in Paris in early January will make firm commitments towards ensuring the security of the country after any peace deal with Russia is brokered. Reciprocal Attacks Continue At the same time, reports of military actions persisted. A source from Kyiv's security service reported that Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles struck an oil depot in the Russian city of Rybinsk, sparking a significant fire. In Ukraine, a Russian-launched aerial assault struck residential blocks and energy infrastructure in Odesa, wounding several people, including minors. Officials confirmed four apartment buildings were damaged and significant harm was reported to a couple of energy facilities. Disputed Allegations Over Drone Attack Concerning recent allegations of a UAV strike aimed at a property of Russia's leader, US and European officials are in agreement that Ukraine was not behind the incident. A report indicated that US national security agencies concluded the alleged attack "did not happen". Reacting, The Russian defence ministry published a footage purporting to show debris of a downed Ukrainian-made unmanned aerial vehicle. An official from Ukraine's foreign ministry ridiculed the footage as "laughable" and stated it showed a lack of seriousness in creating the narrative. European Official Calls Claims a "Distraction" Kaja Kallas called Moscow's claims "an intentional distraction". "Nobody should accept baseless allegations from the aggressor," she remarked. Additional Updates North Korean Involvement: North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, reportedly praised troops serving in an "alien territory" in a New Year address. Intelligence assessments indicate North Korea has sent a significant number of troops to aid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Restrictions Extension: The US have reportedly given a short-term reprieve from restrictions to a Serbian, majority Russian-owned oil company until late January. The company operates Serbia's only refinery.