4 months ago
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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, successful his New Year code to the nation, said precocious connected Wednesday (December 31, 2025) that Ukraine wanted the warfare to end, but not astatine immoderate cost, adding helium would not motion a “weak” bid agreement that would lone prolong the war.
Seated in his office, with a festive histrion successful the background, Mr. Zelenskyy said Ukrainians were exhausted from astir 4 years of warfare — longer than the German World War Two concern of galore Ukrainian cities. But they were not prepared to springiness up.
“What does Ukraine want? Peace? Yes. At immoderate cost? No. We privation an end to the warfare but not the extremity of Ukraine,” Mr. Zelenskyy, wearing a acheronian greenish embroidered Ukrainian shirt, said successful the 21-minute code issued conscionable earlier midnight.
“Are we tired? Very. Does this mean we are ready to surrender? Anyone who thinks truthful is profoundly mistaken.”
Mr. Zelenskyy said immoderate signature “placed connected anemic agreements lone substance the war.”
“My signature volition beryllium placed connected a beardown agreement. And that is precisely what each meeting, each phone call, each determination is astir now,” helium said. “To unafraid a beardown bid for everyone, not for a day, a week oregon 2 months, but bid for years.”
Mr. Zelenskyy said weeks of U.S.-led diplomacy, including his talks past play with U.S. President Donald Trump successful Florida, had produced a bid deal that was astir ready.
“A bid statement is 90% ready, 10% remains,” helium said. “That 10% contains everything, it is the 10% that volition find the destiny of peace, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe and however radical volition live.”
The main stumbling artifact to completing a woody is the contented of who volition power what parts of Ukraine’s territory.
Russia holds astir 19% of Ukraine’s territory in the southbound and east, but Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to retreat from parts of the eastbound Donbas portion that Moscow’s forces person failed to capture.
Kyiv wants the representation frozen astatine the existent conflict lines, and Mr. Zelenskyy dismissed arsenic “deception” Russian demands for a implicit withdrawal from Donbas.
“Does anyone inactive judge them? Unfortunately, yes,” helium said. “Because excessively often the information is avoided and called diplomacy erstwhile successful information it is simply lies dressed up successful concern suits.”
