đź”— Share this article President Zelenskyy States Ukraine Was Ten Percent Off from a Peace Deal, Yet Not at Any Cost As part of his year-end message, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a possible peace agreement was ninety percent prepared. "This peace agreement is 90% complete, 10% remains," he noted. "This is much more than just numbers." A Deal Needs Strong Assurances, Not a Weak Truce Zelenskyy made clear that his country wants an end to the war but not at "any cost". "What does our nation want? Peace? Yes. No matter the price? No," he said. "Our goal is a conclusion to the conflict but not the end of Ukraine." "Are we weary? Very. Does this mean we are prepared to surrender? Any person who thinks so is profoundly wrong," he added. He expressed skepticism about Russian aims, stating that should forces withdrew from the Donbas region, the war would not cease. "Pull out from the eastern regions, and everything will end. That is how a lie translates," he remarked. EU Allies to Plan Post-War Security Separately, French leader Emmanuel Macron stated that EU leaders and allies gathering in Paris in early January will make solid pledges towards ensuring the security of Ukraine following any peace deal with Moscow is brokered. Reciprocal Attacks Reported At the same time, reports of military actions persisted. An official from Kyiv's SBU reported that Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles struck an oil depot in the Russian city of Rybinsk, sparking a significant fire. On the other side, in southern Ukraine, a Russian drone attack struck apartment buildings and energy infrastructure in Odesa, injuring six people, including minors. Officials confirmed multiple apartment buildings were damaged and significant harm was reported to two energy facilities. Contested Claims Over Aerial Incident Regarding previous allegations of a UAV strike targeting a property of Russia's president, US and European authorities agree that Ukrainian forces was not behind the event. An article indicated that US national security agencies determined the reported incident "never occurred". Reacting, Russia's ministry of defense released a video claiming to show debris of a downed Ukrainian-made drone. A Ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs dismissed the evidence as "laughable" and stated it showed a lack of seriousness in creating the narrative. European Official Calls Allegations a "Diversion" The EU's top diplomat called Moscow's assertions "an intentional diversion". "Nobody should accept unfounded claims from the aggressor," she said. Additional Updates North Korean Involvement: The DPRK's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, according to state media praised troops serving in an "alien land" in a New Year message. Reports suggest the country has sent a significant number of troops to support the Russian invasion in the region. Sanctions Extension: United States authorities have reportedly granted a temporary reprieve from restrictions to a Serbia-based, majority Russian-owned energy firm until 23 January. The company manages the country's only oil refinery.