Putin, Zelenskyy strike defiant notes in New Year addresses

Russia and Ukraine began the New Year with sharply contrasting yet equally defiant messages from their leaders, underlining how far apart the two sides remain even as diplomatic activity to end the war gathers momentum.

In his New Year address, Russian President Vladimir Putin told troops fighting in Ukraine that Moscow remained confident of victory, praising them as “heroes” and projecting resolve as the conflict entered yet another year. Speaking in a brief message aired first in Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka region, which ushers in the New Year ahead of the rest of the country, Putin addressed what he called Russia’s “fighters and commanders” and said the nation believed in them and in ultimate success.

The address, broadcast during Russia’s main public holiday, was dominated by references to the war, which has now stretched to nearly four years and imposed a heavy human cost. Casualties on both sides are believed to run into the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands, while millions of Ukrainians have been displaced.

Putin avoided mentioning allegations that Ukraine had attempted a drone attack on a residence linked to him in north-western Russia, claims Kyiv has categorically denied. Wednesday, 31 December also marked 26 years since Putin first rose to power.

The alleged drone incident, however, continued to feature prominently in Russian official statements. Moscow claimed that Ukrainian drones had targeted a lakeside residence in the Novgorod region and released footage of what it said was a downed drone in the snow, as well as a separate video showing an explosive device allegedly attached to one of the drones.

Ukraine dismissed the accusations as fabricated, and the European Union accused Russia of trying to derail peace efforts with what it described as a deliberate distraction.

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a lengthy New Year address delivered from his office in Kyiv, said Ukraine wanted the war to end, but not “at any cost”. Speaking against the backdrop of a decorated Christmas tree, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukrainians were exhausted after almost four years of fighting, but insisted the country would not surrender or accept a deal that could reignite the conflict.

“Peace? Yes. At any cost? No,” he said, adding that he would not sign a “weak” agreement that merely postponed war. Any peace, he said, must safeguard Ukraine’s future for years to come, not for days or months.

Zelenskyy said weeks of US-led diplomacy, including recent talks with US President Donald Trump in Florida, had brought a peace agreement close to completion. According to him, negotiations were “90 per cent ready”, with the remaining issues, particularly the question of territorial control, determining the fate of Ukraine, Europe and long-term stability in the region.

Russia currently controls about 19 per cent of Ukrainian territory in the south and east. Zelenskyy rejected Moscow’s demand that Ukraine withdraw from parts of the eastern Donbas region still under Kyiv’s control, calling such proposals deceptive. Ukraine, he said, wants any agreement to freeze the conflict along existing battle lines.

Despite the renewed diplomatic push, with Zelenskyy expected to attend a summit of allied leaders in France next week, Moscow has shown no sign of softening its stance. As both leaders used the New Year to rally their nations, their messages highlighted the central dilemma facing negotiators: a war neither side is willing to concede, even as pressure mounts to bring it to an end.

With IANS inputs