🔗 Share this article President Zelenskyy Says The Nation Was Ten Percent Off from Peace, But Not at Any Possible Cost During his year-end address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that a potential treaty was 90% complete. "The peace agreement is 90 percent ready, 10% is left," he said. "This is much more than just numbers." A Deal Needs Strong Guarantees, Not a Fragile Ceasefire Zelenskyy made clear that Ukraine seeks peace but would not accept it at "any cost". "What does our nation want? An end to hostilities? Absolutely. No matter the price? No," he declared. "We want an end to the conflict but not the destruction of Ukraine." "Are we weary? Extremely. Does that imply we are prepared to surrender? Anyone who believes that is deeply mistaken," Zelenskyy added. He voiced skepticism about Russian aims, suggesting that should troops pulled out from the eastern region, the war would not necessarily end. "Pull out from the eastern regions, and everything will end. This is how deception translates," he commented. EU Allies to Plan Post-Conflict Security Separately, France's leader Emmanuel Macron announced that EU allies and partners meeting in Paris in early January will establish solid pledges towards protecting the country following any agreement with Russia is brokered. Cross-Border Strikes Continue Meanwhile, accounts of military actions continued. An official from Kyiv's SBU reported that Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles hit an oil depot in the Russian city of Rybinsk, sparking a significant blaze. In Ukraine, a Russian aerial assault hit apartment buildings and energy infrastructure in Odesa, wounding several people, among them children. Local authorities said multiple apartment buildings were affected and considerable harm was caused to two power facilities. Contested Allegations Over Aerial Attack Regarding recent allegations of a UAV strike targeting a property of Russia's leader, US and European authorities are in agreement that Ukrainian forces was not behind the event. An article stated that American national security officials concluded the alleged incident "did not happen". Reacting, Russia's defence ministry released a footage claiming to show fragments of a destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle. An official from Ukraine's foreign ministry ridiculed the footage as "laughable" and suggested it showed a lack of credibility in fabricating the story. EU Diplomat Calls Claims a "Diversion" Kaja Kallas described Russia's assertions "an intentional diversion". "No one should believe baseless allegations from the aggressor," she said. Other Developments North Korean Involvement: North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, reportedly hailed troops serving in an "alien territory" in a New Year address. Intelligence assessments suggest North Korea has sent thousands of troops to support the Russian invasion in the region. Sanctions Extension: United States authorities have according to a minister granted a temporary exemption from sanctions to a Serbian, majority Russian-owned energy firm until late January. This entity manages the country's only oil refinery.