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In a year-end message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a possible peace deal was 90% ready. "The peace agreement is 90% complete, ten percent is left," he noted. "This is much more than simply numbers."

An Agreement Requires Strong Assurances, Not a Weak Truce

Zelenskyy emphasized that his country wants an end to the war but would not accept it at "any price". "What is it that Ukraine want? Peace? Yes. No matter the price? No," he said. "Our goal is an end to the war but not the end of Ukraine."

"Is the nation weary? Extremely. Does this mean we are prepared to capitulate? Any person who believes that is profoundly mistaken," Zelenskyy continued.

He voiced skepticism about Russian intentions, suggesting that should forces pulled out from the eastern region, the war would not necessarily cease. "Withdraw from the Donbas, and everything will end. That is how deception sounds," he remarked.

European Allies to Discuss Post-Conflict Guarantees

In related news, France's President Emmanuel Macron stated that European leaders and allies meeting in Paris in early January will make firm pledges towards ensuring the security of the country after a potential peace deal with Moscow is reached.

Cross-Border Attacks Reported

Meanwhile, reports of military actions persisted. An official from Kyiv's security service said that Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles hit an oil depot in the Russian city of Rybinsk, sparking a large blaze.

In Ukraine, a Russian aerial assault struck residential blocks and the power grid in Odesa, injuring several people, among them children. Local authorities confirmed multiple apartment buildings were damaged and considerable harm was reported to a couple of energy facilities.

Contested Allegations Over Aerial Attack

Regarding recent allegations of a UAV strike targeting a property of Russia's president, American and European authorities are in agreement that Ukrainian forces did not target the incident. A report indicated that US national security agencies determined the reported attack "never occurred".

Reacting, Russia's defence ministry released a footage purporting to show fragments 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 fabricating the narrative.

European Official Calls Allegations a "Distraction"

The EU's top diplomat described Russia's assertions "a deliberate distraction". "No one should accept baseless allegations from the invading force," she remarked.

Additional Updates

• North Korean Role: The DPRK's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, according to state media hailed troops operating in an "foreign territory" in a new year's message. Reports suggest North Korea has sent thousands of troops to support Russia's invasion in the region.
• Sanctions Reprieve: The US have according to a minister granted a temporary exemption from sanctions to a Serbia-based, largely Russian-controlled oil company until 23 January. The company manages the country's sole refinery.