A possible agreement to halt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is close to being finalized, but key issues remain unresolved, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his New Year’s address to the nation.
Speaking in a 20-minute speech devoted largely to the war, Zelenskyy said a draft deal is largely complete but stressed that the remaining gaps are decisive. “Ten percent remains … Those 10 percent contain, in fact, everything,” he said. “Those are the 10 percent that will determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe, how people will live.”
Zelenskyy explained that while Ukraine’s arguments have been presented on the global stage, they have yet to win full acceptance. “Have our arguments been heard? We very much hope so. Have they agreed with us? Not fully. Not yet. That is precisely why, for now, we speak of 90 percent, not the full 100 percent, readiness of a peace agreement,” he said.
The president underscored that Kyiv will not agree to a settlement it views as fragile or dangerous. “What does Ukraine want? Peace? Yes. At any cost? No. We want the end of the war — not the end of Ukraine,” he said, adding that a weak deal would “only fuel war.”
During his address, Zelenskyy thanked nearly every European country for backing Ukraine but conspicuously excluded Hungary. Alluding to Budapest’s position on Moscow’s invasion, he said: “A Budapest-style piece of paper will not satisfy Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy also commented on President Donald Trump, noting: “The U.S. president always mentions our people and talks about how bravely Ukrainians are fighting.”
Despite acknowledging the strain on the population, Zelenskyy said the country remains determined. Ukrainians, he said, are “tired,” but “not ready to surrender.” He pointed out that Russia’s full-scale invasion has now lasted longer than the Nazi occupation of Ukraine during World War II.
He rejected claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin that a Ukrainian withdrawal from Donbas would end the war. “That is how deception sounds when translated from Russian … Does anyone still believe them? Unfortunately. Because too often, the truth is still avoided and called diplomacy, though in reality it is simply lies in suits,” Zelenskyy said.
Reiterating his broader warning to the international community, the Ukrainian leader said: “Either the world stops Russia’s war, or Russia drags the world into its war.”
Even as Zelenskyy spoke of diplomacy, fighting continued. He said Russia launched another overnight assault late Wednesday, firing more than 200 attack drones. Although most were intercepted, strikes were reported in the Volyn, Rivne, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions.
“If the strikes do not stop even during the New Year holidays, then air defense deliveries cannot be delayed. Our allies have the necessary scarce equipment. We expect that everything agreed with the United States at the end of December for our protection will be delivered on time,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Officials have said Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with international leaders in France on January 6, as diplomatic efforts continue into the new year.
{Matzav.com}
