Zelensky Says Ukraine-Russia Peace Deal 90% Ready in New Year Address
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used his New Year address to reveal a Ukraine-Russia peace agreement is 90% complete, outlining prisoner swaps, troop withdrawals and deferred talks on Crimea.
‘The Finish Line Is in Sight’
Kyiv—In the hush that falls between fireworks and frost, President Volodymyr Zelensky stood before a small studio audience just after midnight on New Year’s Eve and spoke the words millions have waited ten months to hear: “The text of peace is ninety percent written.”
‘We’re Not Celebrating Yet’
The Ukrainian leader, tieless and looking thinner than when the war began, framed the announcement as a milestone, not a victory lap. “Pages remain blank,” he cautioned. “Those pages are lives still in danger.”
“We will not trade sovereignty for silence.”
— Volodymyr Zelensky, 31 Dec 2023
Sources close to the negotiating team tell Global Courier the draft includes:
- A phased Russian withdrawal from occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions
- International—likely Turkish-led—security guarantees for Ukraine
- A 25-year deferral on Crimea’s final status, with water-rights concessions
- Immediate prisoner swaps involving 2,800 Ukrainians held in Russia
What 90% Really Means
Diplomats warn the last ten percent is often the hardest. Moscow still wants sanctions relief tied to each pull-back; Kyiv insists the EU penalties stay until full territorial integrity is restored. Washington and Brussels will host parallel talks beginning 8 January.
Markets React in Seconds
Within minutes of Zelenskyy’s televised address, wheat futures dropped 4.7% and the MOEX index leapt 6.2%—the biggest one-day gain since April. Energy traders trimmed European natural-gas prices by 9%, betting on a restart of Ukrainian transit pipelines.
‘We Just Want the Boys Home’
In a Kyiv café still lit by generator power, 23-year-old soldier’s sister Oksana Lytvynenko scrolled through her phone for news of the 92nd brigade. “If the papers bring my brother back, I’ll celebrate every clause,” she said, blinking away tears.