President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his New Year address to the nation, said 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.
Seated in his office, with a festive tree in the background, Zelenskyy said Ukrainians were exhausted from nearly four years of war. But they were not prepared to give up.
"What does Ukraine want? Peace? Yes. At any cost? No. 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.
"Are we tired? Very. Does this mean we are ready to surrender? Anyone who thinks so is deeply mistaken."
Zelenskyy said any signature "placed on weak agreements only fuel the war."
"My signature will be placed on a strong agreement. And that is exactly what every meeting, every phone call, every decision is about now," he said. "To secure a strong peace for everyone, not for a day, a week or two months, but peace for years."
Zelenskyy said weeks of U.S.-led diplomacy, including his talks last weekend with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida, had produced a peace deal that was nearly ready.
"A peace agreement is 90% ready, 10% remains," he said. "That 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."
The main stumbling block to completing a deal is the issue of who will control what parts of Ukraine's territory.
Russia holds about 19% of Ukraine's territory in the south and east, but Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from parts of the eastern Donbas region that Moscow's forces have failed to capture.
Kyiv wants the map frozen at the current battle lines, and Zelenskyy dismissed as "deception" Russian demands for a complete withdrawal from Donbas.
Pakistan says it has killed 26 militants in strikes on terrorist hideouts along the Afghan border, marking the most significant escalation between the...
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner has found that xAI’s Grok chatbot and its parent company X Corp. violated federal privacy law by launching an AI ima...
China's foreign ministry announced on Thursday that it had imposed sanctions on Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and his immediate family...
The United States launched overnight strikes on military targets across Iran, as President Donald Trump warns of further attacks unless a peace deal i...
Conditions of a climate pattern El Niño have officially developed and are expected to strengthen through the Northern Hemisphere winter of 2026-27,...
The ambassadors of France, Germany and Britain have attended a meeting at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, raising questions about a possible ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv, or at least the resumption of peace talks.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing will attend a video conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday (12 June) to discuss global economic imbalances, marking a rare high-level engagement between China and G7 nations ahead of next week's summit in France.
The European Union’s proposed 21st sanctions package against Russia could affect companies in Central Asia, including firms in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as Brussels moves to tighten controls on sanctions circumvention.
Ukraine's military said it struck a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker in the Black Sea as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Moscow's energy and logistics networks. The move underscores Kyiv's focus on targeting maritime assets it says are used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports.
Mexico and South Africa meet in Thursday’s World Cup opener in Mexico City, with both teams approaching the match from very different positions but facing their own pressures.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry says 19 citizens have been repatriated following a deadly drone attack on two cargo ships in the Sea of Azov on 5 June.
The Pakistani city of Karachi is struggling under severe heat and humidity as the country enters a prolonged heatwave period. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of above-normal temperatures across much of the country between 7 and 12 June.
Ukraine's military said it struck a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker in the Black Sea as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Moscow's energy and logistics networks. The move underscores Kyiv's focus on targeting maritime assets it says are used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports.
U.S. forces say they have completed strikes on Iranian military sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile attacks on an American base in Jordan, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two sides.
Fuel stations across the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula ran dry on Thursday as Ukraine stepped up attacks on supply routes to the region.
Pakistan says it has killed 26 militants in strikes on terrorist hideouts along the Afghan border, marking the most significant escalation between the neighbouring countries since a China-brokered diplomatic effort helped ease tensions earlier this year.
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner has found that xAI’s Grok chatbot and its parent company X Corp. violated federal privacy law by launching an AI image-generation tool without adequate safeguards, enabling the creation and distribution of non-consensual sexualised deepfakes.
China's foreign ministry announced on Thursday that it had imposed sanctions on Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and his immediate family, accusing him of repeatedly making remarks that undermined China's "legitimate interests" and bilateral relations.
Conditions of a climate pattern El Niño have officially developed and are expected to strengthen through the Northern Hemisphere winter of 2026-27, according to the U.S. Climate Prediction Center. The forecast raises concerns of extreme weather, agricultural issues and record global temperatures.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment