President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his New Year address to the nation, said late on Wednesday that Ukraine wanted the war to end, but not at any cost, adding he would not sign a "weak" peace agreement that would only prolong the war. We want an end to the war but not the end of Ukraine," Zelenskyy, wearing a dark green embroidered Ukrainian shirt, said in the 21-minute address issued just before midnight. Zelenskyy said any signature "placed on weak agreements only fuel the war." Zelenskyy said weeks of U.S.-led diplomacy, including his talks last weekend with US President Donald Trump in Florida, had produced a peace deal that was nearly ready. "A peace agreement is 90% ready, 10% remains," he said.

Source: The Telegraph January 01, 2026 04:42 UTC