đŸ”— Share this article Leader Zelensky Says Ukraine Was 10% Off from a Peace Deal, But Not at Any Possible Price In a New Year's Eve speech, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that a possible peace agreement was ninety percent prepared. "The peace agreement is 90% complete, ten percent remains," he noted. "And that is far more than just figures." An Agreement Requires Strong Guarantees, Not a Fragile Ceasefire The president made clear that Ukraine desires peace but would not accept it at "any possible cost". "What is it that Ukraine want? An end to hostilities? Absolutely. No matter the price? Certainly not," he declared. "Our goal is an end to the war but not the end of our country." "Is the nation weary? Extremely. Does that imply we are ready to surrender? Anyone who thinks so is profoundly wrong," he continued. He expressed skepticism about Moscow's aims, suggesting that even if forces pulled out from the eastern region, the war would not cease. "Withdraw from the eastern regions, and everything will end. That is how a lie sounds," he remarked. European Allies to Discuss Post-War Guarantees In related news, France's President Emmanuel Macron stated that European leaders and allies meeting in Paris on 6 January will make firm commitments towards ensuring the security of the country after any peace deal with Russia is reached. Cross-Border Attacks Reported At the same time, reports of military actions continued. An official from Ukraine's SBU reported that Ukraine's long-range drones hit a fuel storage facility in the Russian city of Rybinsk, sparking a large fire. On the other side, in southern Ukraine, a Russian-launched drone attack struck residential blocks and energy infrastructure in Odesa, wounding six people, including children. Local authorities said multiple apartment buildings were damaged and considerable damage was reported to a couple of power facilities. Contested Allegations Over Aerial Incident Concerning recent allegations of a drone attack aimed at a property of Russia's president, US and European authorities are in agreement that Ukrainian forces was not behind the event. An article stated that US national security officials determined the alleged incident "never occurred". In response, Russia's ministry of defense released a video purporting to show fragments of a downed Ukrainian drone. A Ukrainian foreign ministry dismissed the evidence as "laughable" and suggested it showed a lack of credibility in creating the story. European Diplomat Labels Allegations a "Diversion" The EU's top diplomat called Moscow's assertions "a deliberate diversion". "Nobody should accept unfounded claims from the invading force," she remarked. Other Updates DPRK Involvement: The DPRK's leader, Kim Jong-un, according to state media hailed troops serving in an "foreign land" in a New Year message. Intelligence assessments suggest North Korea has sent a significant number of personnel to support Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. Restrictions Reprieve: The US have reportedly granted a short-term exemption from restrictions to a Serbia-based, largely Russian-controlled oil company until late January. This entity operates Serbia's only oil refinery.