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As part of his New Year's Eve message, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that a possible treaty was ninety percent prepared. "The deal is 90% ready, ten percent remains," he remarked. "This is much more than just numbers."

An Agreement Requires Strong Guarantees, Not Fragile Ceasefire

The president made clear that his country desires an end to the war but would not accept it at "any cost". "What does Ukraine want? Peace? Yes. At any cost? Certainly not," he said. "Our goal is a conclusion to the war but not the end of Ukraine."

"Is the nation weary? Very. Does this mean we are prepared to give up? Any person who thinks so is profoundly wrong," he added.

He expressed skepticism about Russian intentions, stating that should forces pulled out from the eastern region, the war would not cease. "Withdraw from the eastern regions, and it will all be over. This is how deception translates," he remarked.

EU Allies to Discuss Post-Conflict Guarantees

Separately, France's leader Emmanuel Macron stated that European leaders and allies gathering in Paris on 6 January will establish solid pledges towards ensuring the security of Ukraine after a potential agreement with Moscow is brokered.

Cross-Border Strikes Reported

Meanwhile, reports of hostile strikes continued. An official from Kyiv's security service said that Ukrainian long-range drones hit an oil depot in the Russian city of Rybinsk, causing a large fire.

On the other side, in southern Ukraine, a Russian aerial assault hit apartment buildings and energy infrastructure in Odesa, injuring six people, among them minors. Officials confirmed multiple apartment buildings were damaged and significant damage was reported to two power facilities.

Contested Allegations Over Aerial Attack

Concerning previous claims of a UAV strike targeting a property of Russian president, American and European officials are in agreement that Ukrainian forces was not behind the incident. An article stated that American security officials determined the alleged attack "did not happen".

In response, The Russian defence ministry published a video claiming to show fragments of a destroyed Ukrainian-made unmanned aerial vehicle. A Ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs ridiculed the footage as "laughable" and stated it showed a lack of credibility in fabricating the story.

European Diplomat Calls Allegations a "Distraction"

Kaja Kallas described Russia's claims "an intentional diversion". "Nobody should believe baseless claims from the invading force," she said.

Other Updates

• DPRK Role: The DPRK's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, according to state media praised troops serving in an "alien territory" in a New Year address. Intelligence assessments indicate North Korea has sent a significant number of personnel to aid the Russian invasion in the region.
• Sanctions Reprieve: The US have reportedly given a short-term reprieve from sanctions to a Serbian, largely Russian-controlled oil company until late January. This entity operates the country's sole oil refinery.