We do not want the end of Ukraine — Zelensky sticks to his conditions to stop the war
Will 2026 bring a glimmer of hope for ending the war in Ukraine, ongoing since February 2022?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a New Year’s address to his people on Wednesday that Ukraine wants the war to end — but not at any price.
Zelensky stated that he would not sign “a weak peace agreement that would only prolong the war.”
Delivering his speech from his office shortly before midnight, he added: “What does Ukraine want? Peace? Yes. At any price? No. We want the end of the war — but not the end of Ukraine.”
He continued: “Are we tired? (Yes) very much. Does that mean we are ready to surrender? Anyone who believes that is badly mistaken.”
Zelensky emphasized that signing “weak agreements would only fuel the war. My signature will be placed on a strong agreement. That is exactly what every meeting, every phone call, and every decision is about now.”
He said his country is about “10% away” from reaching an agreement to end the war with Russia.
“Peace is 90% ready,” he said. “Only 10% remains. And that is far more than just numbers.”
He added: “These 10% will determine the fate of peace — and the fate of Ukraine and Europe.”
The United States is seeking to draft a peace agreement with contributions from both Moscow and Kyiv, but it has failed to achieve a breakthrough on the key issue of disputed territories.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has pushed for full control over the eastern Donbas region as part of any deal. However, Zelensky said in his speech that he does not believe Russia would stop at Donbas if Ukraine withdrew.
He added: “Withdraw from Donbas and everything will end… That is what deception looks like when translated from Russian into Ukrainian, English, German, French — in fact, into any language in the world.”
Russia controls around 19% of Ukrainian territory in the south and east, while Putin is demanding that Ukraine give up certain parts of Donbas that Russian forces have not managed to capture.
Kyiv, meanwhile, wants to freeze the situation along the current front lines.
French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, pledged strong European commitments to Ukraine after any peace deal with Russia.
In his New Year’s address on Wednesday, he said: “European leaders who will meet in Paris on January 6 will present strong commitments to protect Ukraine after any peace agreement with Russia is concluded.”
The main obstacle to finalizing the agreement remains the question of control over specific areas of Ukrainian territory.
