Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to allude to the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin during his annual Christmas address, delivered as Kyiv simultaneously outlined a new multi-point framework aimed at ending the nearly four-year war.
“Today we all share one dream. And we make one wish, for all of us: may he perish,” Zelensky said in a nationally televised Christmas Eve address published by the Office of the President of Ukraine, without naming the Russian leader directly.
The remarks came amid continued Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, even as diplomatic contacts involving Washington and Moscow have intensified in recent weeks.
Zelensky Condemns “Godless” Russian Attacks
In the same address, Zelensky condemned what he described as “godless” Russian strikes following a large-scale aerial assault that targeted multiple regions across Ukraine.
“This is how the godless strike. This is how those act who have absolutely nothing in common with Christianity or with anything human,” Zelensky said, according to a transcript released on the presidential website.
Russia launched hundreds of missiles and drones during the barrage, killing civilians and damaging energy infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said. Details of the attack were reported by Reuters, citing Ukrainian military and emergency services.
Kyiv Outlines New 20-Point Peace Framework
Alongside the Christmas address, Zelensky briefed journalists on a new 20-point peace proposal that he said had been discussed with the United States and presented to Russia through diplomatic channels.
According to Reuters, the proposal would treat current troop deployment lines in parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions as a de facto line of contact, while leaving final territorial decisions to future negotiations.
Zelensky said a joint working group would be established to oversee force redeployments and define the parameters of potential special economic or demilitarised zones designed to reduce the risk of renewed fighting.
Economic Zones, Security Guarantees and NATO
The framework includes provisions for special economic zones in contested areas, a concept Kyiv has framed as a temporary security arrangement rather than a formal territorial concession.
The proposal also calls for firm international security guarantees for Ukraine and would impose less restrictive limits on the size of Ukraine’s armed forces than earlier draft plans, Reuters reported.
Zelensky said the document does not require Ukraine to abandon its bid to join NATO, a demand Russia has repeatedly made but which Kyiv considers unacceptable.
Russia Reviewing the Proposals
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the proposals but declined to offer an immediate response.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said talks involving the United States were showing “slow but steady progress,” while accusing European countries of attempting to undermine negotiations, according to Reuters.
Fourth Christmas at War
Ukraine is marking its fourth Christmas since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with fighting continuing along much of the front line and Russian forces pressing toward key eastern cities.
Zelensky has previously suggested that Putin’s eventual departure from power would bring the conflict closer to an end, a view he has expressed in past speeches and interviews.
Despite renewed diplomatic activity, officials on both sides have acknowledged that territorial issues remain the most difficult obstacle to reaching a negotiated settlement.
