🔗 Share this article Leader Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Is 10% Off from Peace, But Not at Any Possible Price In a New Year's Eve message, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that a possible peace deal was ninety percent ready. "The peace agreement is 90 percent complete, ten percent remains," he noted. "And that is much more than just figures." An Agreement Needs Robust Guarantees, Not a Weak Ceasefire The president made clear that Ukraine wants an end to the war but would not accept it at "any possible price". "What is it that our nation desires? Peace? Yes. At any cost? Certainly not," he said. "We want an end to the conflict but not the destruction of our country." "Are we tired? Very. Does this mean we are ready to surrender? Any person who thinks so is profoundly wrong," Zelenskyy added. He voiced skepticism about Russian intentions, suggesting that even if forces pulled out from the eastern region, the war would not necessarily cease. "Pull out from the Donbas, and it will all be over. This is how deception sounds," he remarked. EU Allies to Plan Post-Conflict Security Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that European leaders and allies gathering in Paris in early January will make firm pledges towards ensuring the security of Ukraine after any agreement with Russia is brokered. Cross-Border Strikes Continue Meanwhile, reports of hostile actions persisted. A source from Kyiv's security service reported that Ukrainian long-range drones struck an oil depot in the Russian city of Rybinsk, causing a significant fire. In Ukraine, a Russian aerial assault struck apartment buildings and energy infrastructure in Odesa, wounding six people, among them minors. Officials said four buildings were damaged and considerable harm was reported to a couple of energy facilities. Disputed Allegations Over Aerial Incident Regarding previous claims of a UAV attack targeting a property of Russian leader, American and European authorities agree that Ukraine did not target the incident. An article stated that American security officials concluded the reported attack "did not happen". In response, Russia's ministry of defense published a video purporting to show debris of a downed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle. An official from Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs ridiculed the evidence as "laughable" and suggested it demonstrated a lack of credibility in fabricating the story. European Official Calls Claims a "Diversion" Kaja Kallas called Moscow's claims "a deliberate diversion". "Nobody should accept baseless claims from the aggressor," she said. Additional Updates DPRK Role: North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, reportedly praised troops serving in an "foreign territory" in a New Year message. Reports indicate the country has sent a significant number of troops to support the Russian military campaign in Ukraine. Sanctions Extension: The US have according to a minister given a short-term exemption from sanctions to a Serbia-based, majority Russian-owned energy firm until late January. This entity manages the country's sole refinery.