PRESIDENT Volodymyr Zelenskiy, 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 鈥渨eak鈥 peace agreement that would only prolong the war.
Seated in his office, with a festive tree in the background, Mr. Zelenskiy said Ukrainians were exhausted from nearly four years of war聽— longer than the German World War Two occupation of many Ukrainian cities. But they were not prepared to give up.
鈥淲hat does Ukraine want? Peace? Yes. At any cost? No. We want an end to the war but not the end of Ukraine,鈥 Mr. Zelenskiy, wearing a dark green embroidered Ukrainian shirt, said in the 21-minute address issued just before midnight.
鈥淎re we tired? Very. Does this mean we are ready to surrender? Anyone who thinks so is deeply mistaken.鈥
Mr. Zelenskiy said any signature 鈥減laced on weak agreements only fuel the war.鈥
鈥淢y signature will be placed on a strong agreement. And that is exactly what every meeting, every phone call, every decision is about now,鈥 he said. 鈥淭o secure a strong peace for everyone, not for a day, a week or two months, but peace for years.鈥
Mr. Zelenskiy said weeks of US-led diplomacy, including his talks last weekend with US President Donald Trump聽in Florida, had produced a peace deal that was nearly ready.
鈥淎 peace agreement is 90% ready, 10% remains,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat 10% contains everything, it is the 10% that will determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe and how people will live.鈥
The main stumbling block to completing a deal is the issue of who will control what parts of Ukraine鈥檚 territory.
Russia holds about 19% of Ukraine鈥檚聽territory in the south and east, but Russian President Vladimir Putin聽wants Ukraine to withdraw from parts of the eastern Donbas region that Moscow鈥檚 forces have failed to capture.
Kyiv wants the map frozen at the current battle lines, and Mr. Zelenskiy dismissed as 鈥渄eception鈥 Russian demands for a complete withdrawal from Donbas.
鈥淒oes anyone still believe them? Unfortunately, yes,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ecause too often the truth is avoided and called diplomacy when in fact it is simply lies dressed up in business suits.鈥 鈥 Reuters
