🔗 Share this article Leader Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Is 10% Away from a Peace Deal, But Not at Any Possible Price During his year-end speech, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a possible peace agreement was ninety percent complete. "This deal is 90 percent ready, 10% remains," he remarked. "This is much more than simply numbers." An Agreement Requires Strong Assurances, Not Fragile Ceasefire Zelenskyy stressed that his country wants peace but would not accept it at "any possible price". "What is it that our nation want? Peace? Yes. At any cost? Certainly not," he said. "We want a conclusion to the war but not the destruction of Ukraine." "Are we tired? Extremely. Does this mean we are ready to capitulate? Anyone who believes that is deeply wrong," Zelenskyy added. He voiced skepticism about Russian aims, suggesting that should forces withdrew from the Donbas region, the war would not cease. "Withdraw from the eastern regions, and everything will end. This is how deception translates," he commented. EU Allies to Discuss Post-War Security In related news, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that European leaders and allies meeting in Paris in early January will make solid commitments towards ensuring the security of Ukraine following a potential agreement with Russia is reached. Cross-Border Strikes Reported Meanwhile, reports of hostile strikes persisted. An official from Ukraine's SBU said that Ukrainian long-range drones hit an oil depot in the Russian city of Rybinsk, causing a large blaze. On the other side, in Ukraine, a Russian drone attack hit residential blocks and the power grid in Odesa, wounding several people, among them minors. Officials said multiple apartment buildings were affected and significant harm was reported to two energy facilities. Contested Allegations Over Drone Incident Regarding recent claims of a drone strike aimed at a residence of Russia's president, American and European officials are in agreement that Ukrainian forces was not behind the event. An article indicated that US national security officials determined the alleged incident "never occurred". Reacting, Russia's defence ministry published a footage purporting to show fragments of a destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle. An official from Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs ridiculed the footage as "absurd" and stated it showed a lack of seriousness in creating the story. European Official Calls Allegations a "Distraction" Kaja Kallas called Russia's claims "an intentional distraction". "Nobody should believe unfounded allegations from the aggressor," she remarked. Additional Updates DPRK Role: North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, according to state media hailed troops serving in an "foreign land" in a new year's address. Intelligence assessments suggest the country has sent a significant number of personnel to aid Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. Restrictions Extension: The US have according to a minister given a short-term exemption from restrictions to a Serbian, majority Russian-owned oil company until late January. This entity operates the country's sole oil refinery.